The Tomb
by Storywriter55
Summary: An unexpected event leaves Peter and Neal fighting for their lives. Part of the Milestones series.
1. Chapter 1

**The tomb **

**Chapter 1**

9.1 years

DeKalb Street, Brooklyn

'Hon, where's my lucky tie?'

'Which lucky tie?'

'El, there's only one lucky tie and you know it'

Silence

'What did you do with it?'

Elizabeth just looked rather guiltily at her husband as she smiled coyly.

Meadowbrook Street, White Plains

'Sara, we're wrapping up the Calabrese case today. Can you pick up the kids after work?'

'Sure. You gonna be late?'

'I might go out with the gang and celebrate. This was a big win.'

'All right. Have fun'

This had been a particularly nasty case. The mob had been involved and their 'no holds barred' way of doing illicit business had resulted in one member of the White Collar crew in hospital, the victim of a brutal beating. Neal's undercover work had been amazing as usual and had resulted in the long awaited capture they had been hoping for.

Neal had begun to wonder if he was getting too old for these capers. Now that he had his job at Finch and Johns and a steady paycheque, he helped Peter out on cases for the sheer exhilaration of it all and somehow with two kids at home, the adventure didn't seem to hold quite as much appeal as it once had.

Hope was nine years old already and Liam was turning four in a few weeks. He was a smart kid – although smart in a quiet way – and he definitely kept Sara and Neal on their toes. Whereas Hope was incredibly clever and intense, Liam was much more laid back. At four years old, Hope had been curious about everything, asking questions and expressing her opinions freely and openly – often unsolicited as a matter of fact. Liam, on the other hand, was more introspective and understated and it was more difficult to know what he was thinking at any given time. He was much more of an observer of life, letting things wash over him before piping up with some gem when it hadn't been obvious to anyone that he'd been particularly paying attention.

'Daddy, can we watch the hockey game tonight?' he asked as he looked up from his breakfast

'Sure, buddy. I'll be a little late but I should be home by nine o'clock or so. I might miss the first period, though' Neal answered, ruffling his golden hair

Liam looked up, pleased. One of his favorite things was sitting alongside his dad on the couch in the family room watching sports on television. Although Neal could never be described as a jock, he took a passing interest and years of working alongside the likes of Peter Burke had served to initiate him to most sports. Liam had begun to develop more than a passing fascination with hockey, football and basketball and Neal was happy to nurture whatever interests his son was developing.

With Hope, it had been easy. She had been interested in art since she was a toddler and she had been his constant companion in his studio whenever he painted or sculpted. She had her own work area and she'd had her own easel ever since she'd been knee high to a grasshopper. She was turning into quite an accomplished little artist favoring watercolor and charcoal as of late. Whenever he wanted to connect with his daughter, all Neal had to do was suggest they go into the studio together – he was guaranteed a fascinating conversation as Hope opened up and shared whatever was on her mind as she mindlessly drew or painted.

Sara had always envied the closeness their daughter shared with her dad. Temperament wise, Hope was much more like her mother – fiery, determined, persistent and headstrong but she had Neal's sensitivity and gentleness as well as his talent for all things artistic which made her a most interesting young lady.

WCWCWC

'I mean it El... wait a minute, did Neal put you up to this?' Peter asked as he remembered seeing the two of them huddled together laughing and plotting when the couples had had dinner together the weekend before.

'Honey, I don't know what you're talking about' answered Elizabeth, barely looking up from her computer screen as she sat in their kitchen sipping her coffee

'El, I have had that tie for 15 years and I've worn it every single time we've closed a case. I can't go to work without it' said Peter, becoming slightly frantic

Elizabeth sighed deeply and looked up at her husband.

'Peter, it actually has a hole in it. As your wife, I cannot let you go to work with that thing hanging around your neck any more' she said, standing to make her way to the garbage can under the sink.

She bent over, picking the tie out from the pile of garbage and let it hang, unceremoniously from her hand as she stared at her husband.

'You didn't!' he exclaimed at the sight of his beloved tie with a piece of shredded carrot hanging off it

'Honey, I'm sorry but this is ridiculous. You have dozens of other ties. Pick _another_ favorite' said Elizabeth, exasperated

Peter exhaled, grabbing the tie rather roughly from his wife's hands as he sent the small piece of orange fluff flying onto the kitchen floor. He smoothed it out as best he could and proceeded to put it around his neck as Elizabeth rolled her eyes in horror, chastising herself for not having the guts to go all the way with the plan she and Neal had hatched together.

Peter had continued to head up the White Collar Unit ever since Neal had officially left about eight years before, finally free from his anklet. The older man had watched his best friend as he had continued to thrive, first as an art authenticator for various insurance companies, as an artist in his own right and more recently as the in-house authenticator for Finch and Johns. He'd seen Neal settle down, get married and have a family and although he was thrilled for his friend, he missed the camaraderie they'd had all those years Neal had been on anklet. Peter's favorite cases were always those where he called Neal in to help, sometimes to authenticate a piece of art, sometimes as an informal advisor and others, like this most recent case, where Neal would actually get his hands dirty and go undercover for the unit.

He had never had a partner like Neal, smart, fearless, creative and did I mention, smart. He missed the 'old days' but he also really enjoyed watching Neal come into his own – finding his own calling and having a family with Sara which Peter had always not so secretly hoped would happen. It was a bittersweet thing – like watching your kids grow up and slowly drift away not needing the same level of support they had needed when they were little.

Today, they were closing the horrendous case of the Calabrese clan – a vicious family which had been making inroads in the New York underworld mostly through fencing stolen art. The case had been chugging along for the past six months and Peter had finally called on Neal about three weeks ago to give him a hand for the final takedown. Neal had been stellar, as usual, infiltrating the family, gaining their trust and finally becoming instrumental in bringing them down. The irrefutable proof Neal had been able to get his hands on would be crucial in ensuring the leaders of the notorious family spent many years to come in the slammer - now all that was left was writing up the final report and going out to celebrate, which the crew had been planning all week.

Despite his disappointment at Elizabeth's futile effort to rid him of his lucky charm, Peter walked over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he prepared to leave.

'Don't forget, some of us are going out to celebrate after work so I'll be home late' he said as he grabbed his briefcase and made his way to the front door.

Elizabeth sighed. Neal would be disappointed when Peter walked into the office but she just didn't have the heart to deprive Peter of wearing the ugly appendage which seemed to bring him such delight. She grabbed the phone dialing her best friend's number.

'So, what are you guys doing tonight?' she spoke into the phone

'Well, it's Friday. We always go out to eat. Do you want to come?' answered Sara on the other end

'That'd be great. How about I meet you at your place after work and we can head out together' said Elizabeth, as she began to put the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher

'Perfect. See you around five' said Sara

'Oh, and tell Neal I really tried' Elizabeth added before hanging up

Sara put the phone down and turned towards Neal relaying her friend's cryptic message. Neal rolled his eyes in response.

'So, you guys going to dinner without me?' asked Neal, feigning hurt

'Neal, we've gone out to dinner on almost every single Friday since Hope was two years old. I'm not about to stop now just because you can't be there tonight' answered Sara in her no nonsense Sara way.

'Alright' whined Neal, disappointed as he pulled his wife to him 'Have fun, but not too much' he added giving her a soft kiss on the lips

Neal could be such a baby, thought Sara. He was a strong, protective father and husband but he was also a big sensitive lug whom she loved with all her heart. Although he continued to drive her crazy at times with his impulsiveness and spontaneity, she wouldn't have him any other way.

'I promise not to have _any_ fun until you get home' she whispered suggestively into his ear as he began to pull away, smiling broadly and making his way out the door.

WCWCWC

Luke Winston poked his head into Peter's office, peeking around Neal who was sitting across from Peter's desk with his feet up.

'Excuse me, sir' he said 'What time did you want that report?'

As low man on the totem pole, he had been roped into pulling together the evidence from the last week of the case and put pen to paper. Neal smiled as he thought back to all the times he had reluctantly taken on that role.

'No later than four o'clock' said Peter, his voice authoritative although Neal knew he was just toying with the intern.

Luke backed away, excusing himself for the interruption as he closed the door behind him leaving the two men grinning at each other.

'Do you miss those days?' asked Peter as he stroked his tie, hoping to get a rise out of Neal

'I do _not_' answered Neal, adamant

'So, she chickened out, huh?' he added staring at the ugly, stained apparel around his partner's neck

'She knows I'd never forgive her if this thing ever disappeared for good' said Peter, smugly

'So whose turn is it to pick a place to go for a drink' Neal asked, sincerely hoping it wasn't Peter who had the nasty habit of choosing the most mundane, uninteresting places. Of course, Neal had his share of Friday night dinners in very uninspiring places himself as of late with two young children to please. All too often, he found himself in front of chicken fingers or cheeseburgers and he was looking forward to introducing the kids to some finer cuisine as they became of age to frequent higher end restaurants.

'Diana, and she chose Venti's over on 21st. Some trendy place...' Peter let his voice trail

'So we'll have to drive over then' said Neal 'Can I hitch a ride?'

Although the Caffreys had two vehicles sitting in their driveway in White Plains, they mostly used them for shuttling the kids around to play dates or running errands in the suburbs. Whenever Neal or Sara came downtown, they would park their car at the Park and Ride and take a train into Manhattan.

'Sure, we'll leave at five' said Peter as he playfully pushed Neal's feet off the desk. 'Now, go give poor Winston a hand with that report'

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

'So, how was your week?' Sara asked as she reached over to cut Liam's slice of pizza into bite sizes

'Good, gearing up for that big luncheon next week at the Shenkman Centre. We're expecting 200 people and the client is very...' Elizabeth paused, looking around '...shall we say, challenging'

'What does 'challenging' mean?' asked Hope who always had an ear on the adult conversations. Neal and Sara had learned a long time ago to be damn sure they didn't mind her hearing the details of any exchange they had in her presence. Nothing got past Hope. Liam, on the other hand, looked on, seemingly zoned out, more focussed on getting the piece of pepperoni he was holding in his hand all the way into his mouth.

'It means... demanding - and in this case not very nice' answered Elizabeth as she leaned towards her goddaughter and lowered her voice as if confiding some big secret.

Hope laughed and Elizabeth tickled her as she spoke. Sara looked on grateful for the terrific relationship those two had. As a godmother, El was the best – she was loving, caring and nurturing and Sara appreciated the fact that her daughter had such a thoughtful and considerate role model to relate to. Although Sara had come a very long way on the 'maternal' spectrum, she was still no-nonsense Sara and she had to make an effort not to be sarcastic or sharp with her children. Although her off-kilter humor was one of the things her husband found the sexiest about his wife, it wasn't appropriate for a couple of young kids and she often had to bite her tongue before speaking when they were around.

Having Peter and Elizabeth as godparents for Hope had been the best decision they could possibly make. The Burkes had taken their role very seriously and Peter had doted on his god daughter since day one, spoiling her and giving her anything her little heart desired. She had reciprocated by being totally devoted to him, putting him on a pedestal and complying in an instant to any request he made of her. In the case of Hope and Peter, it was hard to tell who was wrapped around who's little finger.

'So tell me, Hope, are you still coming over tomorrow?' added Elizabeth 'I thought I'd make macaroni and cheese for dinner'

'Yeah!' answered Hope 'Uncle Peter is taking me to the museum in the afternoon'

'Mac and cheese it is, then' said Elizabeth

WCWCWC

'Thanks Luke; I'll have a quick look and then we can go. Tell the rest of the crew we'll be ready to leave in about half an hour' Peter said, taking the typewritten pages from the young man's slightly shaking hands

'Yes, sir' he responded, leaving as quickly as his legs could carry him

'I guess the poor guy's intimidated' observed Neal as he continued to throw his elastic ball into the air, feet back up on the desk

'Well, maybe _you_ should be a little more intimidated' answered Peter as he stared Neal down

Neal rolled his eyes at his partner. Those days were long gone. Peter was a friend, his best friend and they had come a very long way over the fifteen or so years they had worked together. Come to think of it, Neal had _never _been intimidated by Peter – but there were definitely moments when he had tried to stay under the radar unwilling to make waves, especially when he had done something that Peter would never have approved of. Nowadays, there were decidedly fewer of those situations and the men had built a genuine and long-lasting friendship.

The younger man looked across the desk at his partner, noticing how Peter wasn't getting any younger. The corner of his eyes crinkled when he smiled and there was definitely more gray in Peter's hair, especially at his temples. There was no talk of retirement in the near future but Peter had definitely begun to slow down, preferring to bark orders at his underlings rather than carry out any hands-on work in the field. Not that he wasn't just as sharp and smart as he'd always been - Peter could always be counted on to point out the obvious during cases when everyone was having difficulty focussing or seeing the forest for the trees. That's what made him a brilliant agent and the most successful supervisor the White Collar Unit had ever had.

'All right, boss. You ready to roll?' Neal asked as he jumped to his feet. It was well past five o'clock and although he would definitely be missing out on dinner with his family, he wanted to get back early enough to spend some quality time with Liam. His son didn't ask much and Neal wanted to be there for at least part of the first NHL playoff game especially since the Rangers were playing.

The group assembled in the bullpen. Jones and Diana were anxiously waiting along with Blake and six other agents and probies who had been involved in the case. It had been a long haul - the case that wouldn't go away, so to speak - and they were all looking forward to letting loose and having a few drinks and some munchies while they tried to best each other on their unique contribution to solving the case. Of course, Peter knew that the case had only broken wide open when Neal had come in and done his magic 'Neal thing' but far be it from him to rain on their parade.

'See you there!' he called out as he and Neal stepped out to the elevator area and left the 21st floor of the Federal Building.

WCWCWC

'So, do you want to come over for tea? Neal made a strawberry rhubarb pie and there's still half of it left' asked Sara as they prepared to leave the restaurant

'Sure, why not? We might as well wait for the boys together. And, I never could resist Neal's strawberry rhubarb pie' answered Elizabeth

They had chosen a family restaurant in White Plains so the foursome made their way back to the Caffrey home with Hope riding in the car with her Auntie Elizabeth rather than the family van. As they drove up, Sara spotted Olivia Mason, Hope's best friend, making her way up the street towards their house in her slicker and rain boots. The rain had started mid-afternoon and had been relentless ever since.

'Can Hope come over for a sleepover?' she called out, the moment Sara stepped out of the car

'Does your mom know?' Sara asked as Olivia nodded, adamant.

'I don't see why not. She's coming in a minute in her auntie's car. I'll send her over' answered Sara

Olivia Mason was Hope's best friend and had been a constant in her life since before they even started school together. They spent most weekends with each other, giggling and sharing whatever nine-year olds shared with each other.

The rain was really coming down so Sara picked up her son and carried him, running towards the front door of the house. As she prepared to unlock the door, she noticed it was slightly ajar. She opened it slowly although she had a sneaking suspicion as to who the intruder was.

'Mozzie, is that you?' she called out as she opened the door

'In the kitchen!' he answered

She and Liam made their way to the back of the house only to find Mozzie sitting at their kitchen table with a glass or Merlot and a slice of Neal's famous pie.

'Uncle Mozzie!' cried Liam, making a run for his godfather

'Buddy, come here' said Mozzie opening his arms and pulling him onto his lap to give him a bite from his fork

'Hi Mozzie!' Sara said as she did a mental eye roll 'I see you found the pie'

'You know, I think his peach pie is his best but this is definitely the runner up' said Mozzie as he placed another forkful in his mouth

Sara giggled as she took in the scene. Mozzie was something else, there was no doubt about it and although he was no angel, he was a welcome addition to their family. His friendship with Neal, his oldest and most enduring friend, was based on trust and Sara was happy that her husband had maintained the relationship all those years. Sure, when they were first married, she probably could have made a fuss and insisted that Neal sever all ties with the bespectacled, paranoid man but she was smart enough to know that Neal would have been unhappy with the situation. Instead, she had found a way to make the arrangement liveable for all involved. Mozzie knew how far he could go with involving Neal in his capers and Neal knew the limits that Sara could live with so the flimflammer had become a permanent fixture in their household.

No one was more surprised than Mozzie when Sara suggested he take on the all-important role of godfather to their son. He had agreed instantly and truth be told, it had forced him to look seriously at his extra-curricular activities and make some slight adjustments. After all, he was a role model for young Liam and although he had already shown him how to pick a lock, there were things he would have preferred the young lad didn't find out about his godfather. Over time it became obvious to all involved that as unorthodox a choice as the the Liam-Mozzie pairing was, it was a match made in heaven.

After the women got Liam and Mozzie situated in front of the hockey game in the nearby family room, they sat together at the kitchen table to enjoy what was left of dessert. The friendship between them had begun slowly but had continued to gain strength and momentum over the years. When Sara had first been in Neal's life, Elizabeth had been friendly but by no means a close friend. After Sara got pregnant and the couple had begun planning their wedding, El had stepped in as event coordinator and the women had begun to bond. Ten years later, the friendship had gotten stronger and more enduring and they instinctively turned to each other for help and support every chance they got.

WCWCWC

'How come you parked all the way over in the parking garage?' asked Neal as the men huddled under Peter's umbrella

'They were calling for rain' answered Peter pointing needlessly to the skies 'and I just got it washed yesterday'

Neal smirked at his friend, wincing against the wind that was beginning to bluster 'You realize it's going to get wet now, right?'

Peter looked at his partner, cringing at the obvious kernel of truth he had just uttered. They ran the last few strides in silence and finally reached the parking garage, slightly out of breath.

The garage was a public parking lot, a standalone structure with four levels of parking spaces, prime real estate in downtown Manhattan and the prices reflected that fact. One level was situated underground with the second level, the one chosen by Peter that morning, at ground level. Peter pointed to the car about halfway down the edge of the structure and the men began to make their way. The bureau provided Peter with a vehicle to get around for his job and updated the model every spring. He had just begun to drive a new Camry which he quite liked and he had taken particular care to keep it in good shape, forbidding Neal to eat in it as he liked to do.

Neal was slightly a few steps ahead of Peter and he heard the tell-tale sound of Peter unlocking the door for him as he took his place on the passenger side. Peter opened the door to the driver's side and had one foot inside the car when they both heard a thunderous noise.

There was absolutely no time to react. Within a few seconds, smoke engulfed them and the car disappeared under a mountain of rubble.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

'So he grabs the damn thing from my hand and proceeds to wipe it down and actually put it around his neck' Elizabeth was saying

Sara looked on in horror as she listened to her friend's account of the events from earlier in the day. Neal was still a clothes whore and was particularly big on having just the right tie for every occasion. She thought of him sitting across Peter staring at that ugly thing all day and how he must have had to refrain from jumping up and pulling the damn thing off him. That's if he hadn't actually given in and done just that...

'I'm sure he walked around smelling like salad all day 'cause the damn thing was right in the middle of the salad fixings from last night' El added, laughing.

Suddenly, they heard a shout from the near-by family room as the Rangers scored again.

The phone in Elizabeth's purse began to ring and she absent-mindedly reached for it figuring Peter might be looking for her.

But it wasn't Peter.

'Hi Clinton, is something wrong?' she said into her phone as Sara looked on with a questioning look in her eyes

'What kind of an accident?' she asked

Sara's mind was now in overdrive as she heard the one side of the conversation which was giving her no information at all.

'Yes, she's with me. We'll be right there' said Elizabeth as she hung up and looked up into Sara's eyes

'The guys have had an accident. We have to go'

They sat in Elizabeth's car with the rain pounding the windshield as they made their way back into Manhattan. Jones had been rather cryptic, saying that when Peter and Neal hadn't made it to the restaurant, he and Diana had doubled back and learned that there had been a parking garage collapse and that they feared Neal and Peter might be trapped inside.

Sara was frantically calling both Neal and Peter's phones hoping there had been some kind of mix-up and that the men were safely somewhere but there was no answer despite repeated tries at both their numbers.

The women drove, mostly in silence, as they computed the possibilities. There were few details – only that the parking garage where Peter _might_ have parked his car had collapsed and that there was cement and twisted metal in a heap where the garage had been. No one knew for sure that the men were actually inside but they had not shown up at the restaurant as planned and there appeared to be no other explanation – at least for the moment.

As they got closer, it was obvious that some sort of major police operation was under way. There were several police cars, ambulances and fire trucks and the whole area had been cordoned off. Despite the chaos, there appeared to be some semblance of order and the women parked and ran towards Jones whom they had spotted as they drove up. The rain was still coming down in sheets and the police had set up a temporary command post under a large tarp nearby. Jones walked them over in order to introduce the two women to the officer in charge, Lieutenant Mendez from the 21st precinct.

'What do we know?' asked Sara as she turned to Jones and Diana

'Not much. The police are still trying to ascertain who might be inside. Four people have been identified by loved ones as missing and possibly in the garage but...' he stopped, letting the women catch their breath

'What are they doing to get them out?' asked Elizabeth, her hands shaking

'They're waiting on some structural engineers from the city to ascertain if the structure is stable enough for them to start digging. The top two floors gave way and it's impossible to know where Peter and Neal are in the rubble unless we can talk to them'

'I've been trying both their numbers all the way here...' admitted Sara, her voice breaking

'Was it an explosion?' Elizabeth asked, afraid of the answer

'Not as far as they can tell' answered Jones 'just a random collapse. Apparently, with wear and tear and the amount of rain we got today, water can seep in and cause a weak structure to give way and collapse.'

'I promised Mozzie I'd call as soon as I knew anything' said Sara as she walked away from the small group to make the call. He had stayed behind with Liam but would be anxious to hear any news Sara could provide.

'Mrs. Burke' the young lieutenant said as he approached her 'Did your husband use this garage regularly?'

'He does use it from time to time and he just got a new car a few weeks ago – he's pretty anal about keeping it clean and he'd just gotten it washed yesterday. It would make sense that he would have used it today' she answered hoping she was wrong but somehow knowing that Peter was most certainly under the pile of rubble.

'Ma'am, we'll keep you posted. The engineers have arrived and are having a look at the structure to see if we can begin digging. We have machinery ready to go and emergency crews standing by' he said, trying to reassure her

Sara had rejoined the group, hearing the tail end of what was being said and instinctively reached out to grab Elizabeth's hand in a sign of solidarity. It was damp and cold on this April evening and the daylight was beginning to leave the sky.

WCWCWC

What was that annoying noise, Neal wondered. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't get his eyes to open. His head was pounding and he felt paralyzed, unable to move any part of his body. The ringing continued incessantly and he began to come to as the fog in his head started to clear. There had been a loud noise, maybe an explosion or an earthquake and that's all he could remember. He could feel wetness running down his face and he remembered it had been raining, pouring in fact.

He took a couple of deep breaths which set off his gag reflex and he began to cough, breathing in whatever it was that had made him cough in the first place. The ringing which had stopped momentarily began again and he realized it was his cell phone somewhere nearby but he wasn't quite sure where. A sliver of light was coming in from his left and as he glanced in that direction, he caught a glimpse of his partner lying halfway in the car next to him.

'Peter' he said coughing roughly as he passed out once again.

WCWCWC

'Mrs. Burke, Mrs. Caffrey, we've set up a command post in the deli right next door. Why don't we go in there and I'll brief you' said Lieutenant Mendez as he took Sara's elbow to show them the way.

The women followed the police officer into the small restaurant, a welcome relief from the cold dampness of the night air. Although it was early spring, the nights were still cold and the rain had begun to fall in the form of ice pellets. The deli was alive with city personnel who were studying plans, police officers chatting and sipping coffee, paramedics who were on standby and firefighters ready to go in at a moment's notice. They were all waiting for the green light from the structural engineers who had been called in to examine the site and make the all important decision as to when the rescuers could begin their work.

'I know it's difficult to wait but it would be irresponsible of us to begin to move any of the rubble around. We could cause more harm than good to anyone who is trapped underneath and it could put rescuers at risk' explained the man

Sara and Elizabeth nodded knowingly.

'Could I get the phone numbers for your husbands' cell phones? We're going to continue to try to establish contact with one of them. They could actually help us find them if they can tell us exactly where their car was parked and what they see around them if...'

The women wondered what the officer wasn't saying – if... they are still alive.

If Peter and Neal hadn't come out of the rubble on their own, it was most certainly because they were unable to. If they'd been standing in the garage and debris had rained down on them, their chances of survival were slim but if they had already been sitting in the car, depending on what had fallen on the vehicle, the car might have given them some shelter, albeit minimal. Of course, if they had been on a higher level, their chances of survival would be better although one area of the garage which had been the weakest appeared to have collapsed all the way to the basement level.

Diana and Jones made their way over to where Elizabeth and Sara were sitting and set down a couple of cups of coffee in front of them. They had been liaising with the office where many of the White Collar crew sat waiting for news regarding the status of their co-workers.

Diana put an arm around Elizabeth's shoulder and the mere touch of her hand was enough to cause Elizabeth to dissolve into tears.

'How could this happen' she said, between sobs 'they were just on this dangerous case and they came out of it fine and now this random... thing...'

Jones just looked at her sadly, not knowing quite what to say.

'Elizabeth, we can't give up on them' said Sara fighting tears as she grabbed her friend's hand 'We have to believe they'll come out of this'

Elizabeth looked up at Sara, mustering the strength to smile through her tears 'You're right, this is Caffrey and Burke, they're indestructible'

WCWCWC

Peter began to come to although he had no idea where he was or how he'd gotten there. All he knew was that he was having a hell of a time breathing and he was afraid that if he coughed, the pain would be even worse. He could feel his right leg but his left leg seemed to be trapped under something and as he tried to pull it loose, he let out a loud shriek at the pain the sudden movement triggered. He glanced over to his right seeing Neal's form in the seat beside him.

'Neal' he said, his voice raspy

'Yeah' came the answer barely audible

'What the hell happened?' continued Peter

Neal just continued to breathe shallowly not wanting to start coughing again.

'We're in the car. I think there was some sort of explosion' he answered, haltingly

Peter began to take stock of the situation – as much as his jumbled mind and ravaged body would allow. They were indeed sitting in his car. He was halfway out the door, his left leg hanging out and some large object keeping him from moving it. He was having difficulty breathing, each breath causing excruciating pain in his chest.

'Where are you hurt?' he asked his partner

'Not sure. The door seems to be bashed in and I can't move my right side at all and my head hurts like crazy' Neal answered, barely a whisper

Peter reached up and felt for what was left of the roof of the car. His side of the car appeared intact whereas the passenger side, where Neal was sitting was smashed in. With his right hand, he felt the visor and finally the inside dome light and prayed that it was still functional and that they could get some light. Except for a very faint glimmer of light coming from his side of the car, they were almost in total darkness.

Suddenly, light flooded the car and he turned to look at his partner. Neal's face was almost unrecognizable as blood ran down a huge gash on his forehead.

'Hey buddy' Peter said as he turned towards Neal

Neal smiled weakly and promptly lost consciousness once more.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was well past midnight and no amount of coffee could take away the chill Sara was feeling as she took another sip. This seemed to be taking forever and as time passed, she grew more and more concerned that the longer Neal and Peter remained buried, the less likely rescuers were to get them out alive. Every few moments, she had to fight the urge to run out of the restaurant to the pile of rubble next door and start digging with her bare hands.

'How are you doing?' asked Jones as he took the seat next to her

'Why aren't they answering their phones?' she asked, looking into his eyes and realizing he could not give her an answer to her question

'Don't know...' he answered, figuring nothing he could say by means of explanation would keep her from worrying

'Tell me about the takedown and what Neal did' she asked, needing to hear something heroic her wonderful husband had done

Jones smiled as he remembered the events from a few days before. 'As usual, Caffrey was the one to get his hands on the evidence we needed. He had gotten inside as a fence and snuck into one of the offices and into their safe. He's fearless, you know that?' he said looking at Sara and giving her an encouraging smile.

'He _is_ fearless...' she echoed thinking of all the wonderful things Neal meant to her

WCWCWC

Peter looked over at Neal, once again trying to rouse him from unconsciousness. Whenever Neal opened his eyes, it was for just a few seconds at a time and it had become obvious to Peter that his partner was suffering from a severe concussion but despite his efforts to keep him awake and in touch with reality, he was losing the battle. His own injuries were getting the better of him – he suspected by the pain in his chest that he might be dealing with a collapsed lung but he couldn't be sure. Add to that the fact that his left leg was crushed under a beam of cement and the awkward position his body had been in when the accident occurred and it was increasingly difficult to keep his focus.

As the hours wore on, Peter realized that they were in no position whatsoever to participate in their own rescue; they would have to count on others to bail them out this time. Since he had come to, he had heard phones ringing alternately – his then Neal's, over and over again. His phone had been in his jacket pocket when the collapse occurred but the constant ringing was coming from the ground somewhere out of reach. Neal's phone appeared to be in his left breast pocket making it impossible for Peter to reach from the awkward position he was in.

'Neal?' he said, again

Neal stirred slightly 'Moz? What happened?' he said in a voice that was almost unrecognizable

'It's me, Peter... Try to open your eyes' he pleaded

'We shouldn't have gone back for that last one. I told you it was booby-trapped' Neal said, incoherently

'Neal, try to open your eyes buddy' Peter repeated but he was gone once again

Peter thought of El, waiting out there for him, surely worried out of her mind. He looked down at his tie, which was looking even worse for wear if that was possible and he remembered with a smile their little tiff that morning. He loved her so much; she was his rock and he had to somehow find a way to get back to her.

The phones would start ringing again soon as they did every ten minutes or so he'd noticed over the last hour. His watch was still on his wrist and functional and he made out that it was just about two in the morning. They had already been in this tomb for about 8 hours and he was increasingly worried about Neal's condition. His partner had suffered a severe brain injury about four years before and it made him vulnerable to further neurological problems. He had to try to get the phone out of Neal's pocket so he could communicate with rescuers; that way he could tell them where they were located and find out what was going on with the rescue operation.

Peter's body was contorted, trapped so that it faced towards his left. Mustering all the strength he had and anticipating the excruciating pain he was about to endure, he turned his body abruptly towards Neal in an effort to reach his partner's cell phone. The sudden movement caused an indescribable pain down his leg and foot but he went with the momentum, awkwardly grabbing for Neal's jacket and making his partner stir in the process. He pulled Neal towards him as the other man let out an anguished cry of pain and he reached for the inside pocket where he knew Neal kept his phone. He got his hand on it and yanked it out almost sending it flying through the air and out of reach but a last ditch effort to hang on with his fingertips paid off as he pulled the precious communication device against his chest, letting out a painful scream.

'Moz, Moz, let me sleep' Neal was saying, unintelligibly

Peter held the phone to his chest, waiting now, waiting for it to ring as he knew it would anytime now. And it did.

He picked up on the first ring, his voice breathless and weak

'Mr Caffrey? Neal?' said the man's voice on the other end

'No, this is Agent Peter Burke' he said, his voice barely a whisper

'Lieutenant, lieutenant, I've got Agent Burke on the line, sir!' said the excited voice on the other end of the phone

Another voice came on as Peter continued to breathe shallowly, trying to conserve energy.

'Agent Burke, this is Lieutenant John Mendez, sir. I'm with the 21st precinct and we're working hard to get you out of there. The garage has suffered some structural damage which caused it to collapse. Sir, what can you tell me about your situation?'

Peter's heart quickened at the sound of the human voice and despite their dire circumstances, he felt somewhat reassured. He began to speak, pausing at every few words as he took in small breaths of dust filled air.

'We're in... my car. The roof... it's... mostly intact except... for the right side... my partner is sitting. Beam fell there... he's trapped between the door... and the seat. I'm halfway in the car... my leg... my leg is trapped'

'Alright, sir. Take it easy. Breathe' said the lieutenant in an effort to keep Peter calm

'Can you tell me approximately where your car was parked?' he asked

'Ground... ground... ground level near the middle, outside... outside wall' said Peter, finally as he let out a long slow breath

'Are you both conscious, sir?' asked Mendez

'No, I'm having... having trouble... trouble with Neal. His head... his head is injured' Peter said, haltingly

'Sir, I suggest we hang up for now and let you catch your breath. The structural engineers are deciding the best way to stabilize the structure before we can start digging. How's your air down there?'

'It's dusty... and hot' added Peter

'If you have anything you can breathe through – a piece of your shirt or any clothing, that will help filter some of the dust' advised Mendez 'Sir, we're doing all we can to get you out'

'My wife?' Peter asked

'She's right nearby, sir with Mr. Caffrey's wife'

'Talk... talk to her?' Peter asked

'I'll call back in about ten minutes and I'll have her here to talk to you, okay? Just keep the phone where you can reach it. I don't want to run down your battery; we're not sure how long this could take'

Peter nodded but of course Mendez couldn't see that and he simply disconnected the call and tried to turn once again towards Neal.

'They're coming ... coming for us, buddy' he whispered to an unconscious Neal

WCWCWC

Lieutenant John Mendez, despite his young age, was a veteran of the NYPD. His dad and uncle had both been cops and he had followed their footsteps at an early age becoming one of the youngest men to join the ranks of the department. At 36, he already had almost fifteen years of service and he had shown the brass he had all it took to be a successful police officer. He had begun to move up the ranks almost immediately and had proven himself all the way through as a trustworthy and caring member of the team. But mostly, he was smart. Not in any flashy kind of 'Neal Caffrey' way, but in a salt of the earth kind of way. He would dig and dig on a case, not afraid to get his hands dirty and he would always come out on the winning side. Any and all cases were a challenge for him and he was motivated by his sincere wish to serve his fellow citizens.

Mendez made his way back to Rita's Diner where he had left the two women earlier. Now that everyone but Peter and Neal had been accounted for, he was putting all his energies into saving the two men and bringing them back alive from their misadventure.

'Mrs. Burke, Mrs. Caffrey, we've made contact with your husbands' he said as he sat down across from them.

It was the dead of night and the rain was still coming down in buckets but for Sara and Elizabeth, it was as if the sun had just come out.

'So, they're both...' Elizabeth stopped afraid to utter the last word.

'They're both alive, ma'am. I talked to your husband'

Sara and Elizabeth grabbed for each other's hands as he continued.

'They are trapped in Agent Burke's car but the car seems to have given them some space and some protection. They have sustained some injuries. Agent Burke says his leg is trapped under a beam'

Elizabeth gasped.

'But he's coherent. Mr. Caffrey is...' he hesitated as he chose his words carefully '... in and out of consciousness. He might have a concussion'

Sara let out a deep breath. Ever since Neal had been involved in a terrible car accident four years before, he had struggled somewhat with memory issues. He was still having regular check-ups at the Brain Injury Clinic and she worried that this would set him back further. But he was alive, she thought, and at this point, that was fantastic news.

'If you like, you can talk to Agent Burke in a few minutes' Mendez added as the women looked on

'Thank you, thank you very much' said Elizabeth as she smiled at him

The phone rang in Peter's hand and it roused him from his uneasy sleep. He had let himself slip away as he waited for Mendez to call back. He pulled the phone to his ear and answered, as reflex kicked in:

'Peter Burke' he answered, rather unnecessarily under the circumstances

'Hi hon' came the oh so familiar voice

Peter smiled.

'Hi hon' he answered

'There going to get you out. You just have to hang on, okay?' said Elizabeth, her voice shaky

Peter nodded then realizing what he was doing, he uttered: 'I know, I know they will. Are you okay?'

Leave it to Peter to ask Elizabeth if she was okay when he was trapped under a pile of rubble.

'Sara and I are here and we're not leaving without you guys. How's Neal?'

'Is Sara listening?' asked Peter

'No'

'I'm worried about him, I can't... can't keep him awake, El. I'm trying' he added, is voice breaking

'Sara wants to talk to Neal' said Elizabeth as she handed the phone to her friend

Peter put the call on speaker and held it up as best he could in Neal's direction

'Okay, Sara. He's listening' he said

'Neal, it's me' came Sara's voice, unsteady

'You need to stay focussed, okay? They're coming to get you out of there and the kids are waiting for us at home'

Peter turned and looked in Neal's direction and he saw his lips move trying to say Sara's name - but no sound came out.

'He heard you, Sara' said Peter 'He's trying to say your name'

Sara handed the phone back over to Mendez and walked away, needing to pull herself together. A few yards away, her husband's body was buried under a heap of rubble and his mind was MIA.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Darkness turned to light as Saturday morning dawned on Manhattan, sunny and bright, nothing like the day before. Rita's Diner had been closed to its regular clientele and had been taken over by the NYPD and its rescue operation. A whole block along Water Street was closed as the curious began to line up along the police perimeter to see what all the fuss was about.

'Are you sure you're okay with her staying with you?' Sara was saying into her phone. She had stepped out into the early morning sun to call Donna Mason and check in on Hope. She wanted to make certain that any information which might find its way to Hope's ears was couched in optimism that her dad would come out of this just fine. Mozzie had slept over at their house and had reassured Sara that he would be there for Liam as long as it took for his daddy to come home - this last statement bringing tears to Sara's eyes as she momentarily let herself wonder what state Neal would be in when they finally pulled him out of the wreckage.

She walked back into the diner taking the time to grab two cups of coffee from the self serve area the owners had set up on the counter and she made her way back to Elizabeth who apparently had abandoned herself to sleep, her head back on the booth they had taken up residence in.

Elizabeth stirred as she felt Sara sit down across from her and she opened her bleary eyes, taking in the disheveled appearance of her friend.

'Mendez said they've started to install the reinforcing beams' she said, filling Sara in on the latest developments

'Thank God! How long is that going to take?' asked Sara, taking a sip of her coffee

'A couple of hours. At least they've identified all the vulnerable areas of the structure...' said Elizabeth letting her voice trail

They had spent the last fourteen or so hours taking turns being cheerleader for one another – without even noticing that's what they'd been doing. Whenever one of them began to get scared or upset, the other would pipe up and offer some encouraging words or share an anecdote about how Peter and Neal had come through much worse in the past.

Since they had finally made contact with the men, at about two in the morning, Elizabeth had talked to Peter briefly on two occasions. Unfortunately, Neal had been unconscious and Sara had not been able to speak with him and she was growing impatient to hear him say something, anything so she could hear his voice.

WCWCWC

'You know, Neal... that's... that's when I knew... you were the smart... smartest criminal I had ever chased' Peter said, wincing from the pain in his leg

Neal whimpered somewhere between consciousness and lack thereof.

'C'mon, Neal. Work with me... Tell me... tell me about Amsterdam' said Peter, trying to access some dark corner of Neal's mind and get him talking

'Amsterdam' Neal repeated 'Kate's waiting'

'Kate was in Amsterdam?' Peter asked.

That's not how he remembered it. Neal had pulled off a daring theft at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam but Peter assumed Kate had been in the States at the time. Peter had gotten word from the Politie, the national police that someone with Neal's MO had pulled a heist and Peter had flown there to track him down.

'Kate... home' Neal whispered

'Oh, yeah, Kate... was in the States' echoed Peter, anything to keep him talking

'Didn't... find... find me' said Neal with just a touch of the arrogance Peter knew so well

'You're right... I didn't... you slipped away that time' answered Peter, a small smile on his lips

'Sara' Neal uttered, breathless

'They'll call back... and... you... can talk to her, okay?' Peter said reassuringly

'Sara' Neal repeated, a little louder and somewhat disturbed

'She's waiting for you... outside Neal' Peter insisted as he felt the despair creeping into his partner's voice

'Sara!' this time his voice was strident and he was becoming agitated and distressed as if he was having a bad dream

'She's okay, buddy. Just... breathe'

Neal moaned and continued to utter Sara's name, oblivious to where he was and what was going on around him. This was not good, Peter thought; the longer he went without care with a concussion, the more severe the consequences. He prayed once again that it would all end soon and that both of them could make it home to their wives and their lives.

WCWCWC

'I saw it in the newspaper' Hope said as she sat at the kitchen table of the Mason home with Donna standing by the sink

Dammit. She had been so careful about not leaving the radio or the television on - the garage collapse in Manhattan had been the top local news story - but she had forgotten about the newspaper. It had been delivered to their doorstep as it always was and the girls had picked it up and brought it in on the way to breakfast. The event of the last twelve hours was front page news along with pictures and statements from the police and eyewitnesses.

'My daddy is stuck in there, isn't he?' she said, concern filling her voice

Donna put down the dishrag she was holding and sat at the table, next to the little girl.

'He is, Hope. But I've talked to your mom and there's a rescue operation. They're going to get him out' she said, trying to sound as reassuring as she possibly could

'What if they can't? What if he's already dead?' she said looking at the woman who had become a steady influence in her life

'No, no you mustn't think like that. Your mom and your aunt Elizabeth have been in touch with them by phone and he's very much alive' Donna added

'I want to talk to him' she said, her eyes filling with tears 'I'm not a baby, you know'

'I know that' said Donna, simply 'Why don't we call your mom and she can explain things to you'

Hope nodded trying to be brave. Her daddy had always told her that she could do anything she wanted in life and that she was a strong person – and she believed him. He had always taken care of her and Liam, always been there whenever they needed anything. But, now, he was the one who needed her and maybe if she could talk to him, she could help him somehow.

'Sara, sorry to call but Hope would really like to have a word' Donna explained as she passed the phone over to the nine year old and left the room giving mother and daughter a moment to themselves.

'Mommy, is Daddy still stuck in the garage?' she asked, her voice strong

'Yes, he is, honey' Sara answered, simply. There was no sense in keeping anything from a smart girl like Hope.

'I want to talk to him. Donna said you and Auntie Elizabeth can talk to him'

Sara took a deep breath. In reality, although Peter had done his best to reassure her, she had not yet heard Neal's voice. Having to explain to Hope that her dad was unconscious might upset her and she wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Neal would know... Neal always knew.

'Do you want to come down here for a little while and wait with me and Auntie Elizabeth?' she asked, finally realizing that keeping her daughter at bay would be even worse in this situation

'Yes' Hope answered, determination in her voice

WCWCWC

Peter woke from his short nap to some sunlight coming in from his side of the car. It was morning and they were still alive; that had to count for something. Lieutenant Mendez had called him about an hour ago to tell him that the structural team from the city had been able to identify the weaknesses in the structure and would begin to put up reinforcing beams so the rescue operation could begin. Peter though he could hear some banging off in the distance, although muted. He called out to Neal, once more but was greeted by silence. He was either unconscious or asleep; he wasn't sure which and he took a deep breath as he tried to move his toes. Every few minutes, Peter would gather his courage, take a deep breath and wiggle his toes; he knew that if circulation in his leg and foot stopped all together, he might never get it back. There was the tiniest of 'give' under the beam and he was able to move ever so slightly and he diligently carried out the painful movement in an effort to keep blood flowing.

'Peter' Neal moaned, suddenly pulling Peter out of his reverie

'Neal, welcome... back buddy' he said

'Head hurts' Neal mumbled

'I know, they're coming... for us, soon' Peter said as he took his right hand and reached for Neal's arm reassuringly

It wasn't much of a conversation, but at least his partner was conscious and seemed to be aware of his surroundings.

'Tell me about the takedown... of the Calebrese clan' said Peter, trying to incite Neal to stay awake and grounded in the reality of recent events.

'Those... bastards... they hurt Gibson' said Neal, recalling the beating he had been forced to witness while undercover

'They did... he's gonna be fine' Peter reminded him

'I want to go home' Neal said with the smallest hint of humor, or so Peter thought

'Yeah, that sounds good to me' he answered

WCWCWC

Hope arrived shortly after 9:00 and ran to her mother's side, hugging her tightly as Sara tried to keep it together. Sara had arranged for Lieutenant Mendez to put a call in to the men and he had acquiesced as she explained that Hope wanted to talk to her dad. As a father of three, himself, he imagined how soothing it would be to hear his little girl's voice if he was in a similar predicament and struggling to stay alive.

He dialed the now familiar number to Neal's phone and waited, fully expecting Peter to answer which he did on the second ring.

'Agent Burke, I have a little girl who wants to talk to her daddy. Is he taking calls?' he asked, trying to inject a little humor into the dismal situation.

'Neal' Peter said as he switched to hands free mode 'You have a special call. Listen'

'Daddy?' Hope's voice sounded clear and strong

'Hope?' Neal said, his voice weak

'Daddy, you need to come home. You haven't finished that painting for Mom's birthday yet. She's going to love it when she sees it but it isn't done so you have to come home and finish it' said the little girl

Neal let the child's voice wash over him like a balm, healing him and giving him strength, bringing him back to the here and now and the reason he had to keep fighting.

'Hope' he said, in a whisper 'I'll be back really soon. But... I need... need you to take care of Mommy... and... Liam... until I... I come home'

Sara sat listening, her eyes filling with tears as her daughter, so wise, reached out to her dad with strength and love, connecting with the deepest recesses of his mind where the best of Neal lived and thrived. Their connection had been magical since before Hope was even born and all those two had to do was look at each other and they instantly knew what the other was thinking. For a man like Neal who had spent his early adult years trying to control others' perceptions of him and manipulate their reactions, it was freeing and exhilarating to have a relationship with not one single iota of artifice. He could never deflect whenever Hope asked him something because she would know, she always did.

'I will Daddy. I love you' she said

'I love you... sweet... sweet pea' he answered, as his mind began to falter once more.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

'She's pretty amazing, huh?' said Peter as he let out a huge sigh and tucked the phone back in his jacket pocket for safe keeping.

He was greeted by silence, and he realized that Neal had slipped away once again. He was getting more and more worried about his best friend's inability to stay conscious for more than a few seconds at a time. Neal was coming to sporadically, sometimes fully aware of his surroundings and what was going on and at other moments with his mind in another place and time.

Peter could hear some machinery off in the distance but the sound was very faint and he realized that it might take several hours to secure the structure sufficiently so they could start removing the pieces of twisted metal and cement that entombed the car. He wiggled his foot once again, wincing at the pain, and he finally let himself fall into an uneasy sleep.

WCWCWC

'You did a good job, honey' said Sara as she pulled Hope in for a hug and fought off the tears that were threatening to fall

'I'm scared, Mommy' answered Hope, her face buried in her mom's hair

'Me too, baby' she responded, pulling her away to look into her eyes 'but all these people are working to get Daddy and Uncle Peter out of there and they're not going to give up until they do'

Hope nodded, half-heartedly.

It took some doing but Sara finally convinced Hope to go back with Donna and wait back in White Plains – this was no place for a nine year old to spend more than a few minutes. She hoped that her brief conversation with Neal had been enough to reassure Hope that her dad was going to come out of this in one piece.

At around 11:00, Elizabeth and Sara couldn't stand sitting around anymore and they decided to take a walk through the neighboring streets. They could see the work crews bringing in some solidifying beams and installing them in strategic places as they inched ever closer to the spot Peter had described. Lieutenant Mendez had given the women a status report an hour earlier, telling them that the crew hoped to make its way to the identified spot by mid afternoon. With the help of infrared rays, they would be able to closely pinpoint the location of the car and begin to assess the best way to remove the debris surrounding it and get the men out from under the rubble.

'Peter's had so many close calls' said Elizabeth as the women walked 'but I never would have put a garage collapse on my top 10 fears for his safety'

'I know' agreed Sara 'They've both come through some much more dangerous situations – this all seems so ... random'

'You know, I never want Peter to be less than what he wants and needs to be, but every day when he leaves the house, I wonder if I'll ever see him again' mused Elizabeth, her eyes glued to the structure across the street

'Try being married to Mr. Impulsive' added Sara with a small smile. 'I never know what Neal is capable of and it terrifies me'

Elizabeth looked at her friend, her eyebrow raised.

'I know, I know' said Sara 'you're right. His spontaneity is what makes Neal who he is and I wouldn't want him any other way'

She thought of all the risks Neal had taken in his life, usually to help some third party or in aid of some risky undercover operation. He usually came out of situations smelling like a rose, most often with a mischievous smile on his lips. She'd always thought he'd been born under a lucky star and she prayed that luck was with him on this day.

WCWCWC

'Peter' Neal screamed rousing his partner from his sleep

'What? What is it?' asked Peter, momentarily disoriented

'They've got guns, be careful!' Neal whispered urgently as he moved in the seat beside Peter

'It's okay, Neal... it's okay' answered Peter reassuringly

'No, no, no, no...' said Neal, his voice breaking

'Neal, Neal, it's okay, I'm okay' repeated Peter

'No, careful, careful...' Neal's screamed as his arm began to fly wildly in front of Peter's eyes, hitting him in the chest in the process.

Peter grabbed for Neal's arm, hoping to quieten him but making him more restless in the process as Neal continued to swat blindly at whatever he thought he could see in front of his eyes.

'I've got you Neal, no one's gonna hurt us. We're okay, we're okay' Peter said

Whatever the reason, whether Neal was fading again or whether he was reassured by Peter's words, Neal fell silent again and his arm dropped at his side as the phone began to ring in Peter's pocket. He took a moment to glance at his watch before answering. It was 1:30 and they hadn't talked to anyone since Hope's call earlier in the morning.

'Yeah' said Peter, his voice rough as he began to cough

'Peter, we've spotted you off in the distance' said the soothing and now familiar voice of John Mendez. 'We'll be within range of your car within the next hour'

Peter smiled at this, taking a deep breath resulting in another coughing fit. It was music to his ears.

WCWCWC

The men had been working since the middle of the night, first identifying the vulnerable spots within the structure, then working inch by inch to ensure that the structure could hold its weight when came the time to remove the debris and free the two men from their makeshift grave.

Charlie Wentzell was a veteran, having worked for the City of New York's infrastructure department for the past thirty seven years. He was scheduled to retire at the end of the summer... but today, he was in high gear as he directed his team of engineers and his work crew in the rescue operation. The city's roads and structures were aging and it was impossible to carry out the necessary stress tests to ensure that all of New York's infrastructure was safe at any given time but this was a most random occurrence brought on by a perfect storm of circumstances: aging construction, crumbling cement and weather conditions.

Peter Burke's car had been parked along the edge of the garage, on the side facing the street. Charlie marvelled at that fact; if he had parked on the inside wall, both men would have died almost immediately. The garage had collapsed towards its centre and the middle of the garage was a huge unrecognizable pile of junk. The edges had been less affected and he and his crew worked diligently at fraying a path towards the spot Peter had identified. The infrared camera they were equipped with was instrumental in identifying the spot where the men were buried and as early as two in the morning, Charlie and his crew had decided on a strategy to carry out the risky rescue operation. Not only did the supervisor have to ensure the safety of the victims, he had to make sure his crew could work safely and effectively – a tall order, indeed.

WCWCWC

Peter could have sworn the sounds were getting louder; mostly banging noises but some machinery as well. He glanced at his watch: it was 2:30. They had been under the rubble with nothing to drink and putrid air to breathe for going on 19 hours. He tried to relax his body, turning slightly to his right to look at Neal. He'd been restless for the past few minutes, mumbling and trying to move. He could see that Neal's right side was somehow trapped between the car door and his seat, limiting his movement and he was briefly thankful for this fact as Neal continued to stir.

The duo had been on so many cases together, it would be impossible to count them all. Beginning with the years Neal had been on anklet when they had worked continuously together to more recent times when Peter called on Neal for complicated cases or just because he missed working with him. Although Neal had a full-time job with Finch and Johns, the company was always really flexible whenever Neal asked for time off to help the White Collar Unit on a case. After all, no one on the continent – and probably on the planet – could authenticate art like Neal could; they were just thankful to have exclusive access to his incredible talent.

'Peter' Neal whispered

'Yeah' Peter responded

'How long have we been here?' asked Neal, sounding just like his old self

'Almost twenty hours' answered Peter, thankful to have a lucid conversation with his partner as mundane as the topic might be.

'How are you feeling?' Peter added

'My head is... it feels like it's going to blow up...' said Neal 'You?'

'Mostly my leg, it's stuck under a beam' Peter responded

'So... is this the end of the line for us?' Neal asked, his breath labored

'No, no, Neal... They've been... in constant ...contact and they're getting closer' Peter responded, barely a whisper

'I just wanted to say...' Neal began

'Save it, buddy... save it for when we're.. we're in a REAL mess' said Peter, smiling

Neal responded with a sound that seemed half grunt, half laugh.

'Would you please let me...' he started again

'No, I will not' said Peter 'You can tell me... when... we're having a beer later tonight' Peter reached over and touched Neal's leg ever so briefly to let him know he meant it.

'That's what I love about you, Peter... eternal optimist'

'It's only because I'm with Neal effen Caffrey... he's indestructible'

The sounds coming from outside the car continued to grow louder.

WCWCWC

'Mrs. Burke, Mrs. Caffrey' John Mendez said as he sat across from them 'The crew is telling me that they will be within reach of the car in the next half hour. Would you like to come with me?'

Sara and Elizabeth were up like a shot and following the police lieutenant out of the diner and onto the street where it was obvious things were happening fast. There was even more activity than there had been before and the women could see members from the press as well as throngs of onlookers on the other side of the street behind the police perimeter that had been set up for the occasion.

Two ambulances waited ominously by the edge of the structure, ostensibly near the spot where they hoped the two men would be wheeled out. John Mendez and the two women made their way to where the emergency crews stood and the paramedics explained that arrangements had been made for them to ride along with their husbands when the time came. The nearest hospital, Mount Sinai, had been briefed on the situation and medical staff was awaiting their arrival with the injured men.

Elizabeth and Sara stood silently and despite the high level of activity, you could have heard a pin drop as everyone waited impatiently for the moment when the men would be wheeled out from under the mess.

WCWCWC

'Peter Burke! Neal Caffrey!' a disembodied voice called out, clear as could be.

The sound of their names was the sweetest sound the men had ever heard.

'We're here!' called out Peter

'Sir, we're right behind your car and we're assessing the best way to remove the last of the rubble in order to get to you. If you give us a few minutes, we can get water to you while we work'

At this, Peter let out a huge sigh and Neal a garbled laugh. Their misadventure was finally coming to an end. Suddenly a hand was reaching in through a small space between the offending beam and the door on the driver's side as two opened bottles of water were handed to the men. Peter took one and handed it to Neal before taking the second one for himself and taking a giant gulp.

'Easy sir, take it easy' said the voice before moving away once more.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

John Mendes stood next to the two women, aware once again of the pain and anxiety on their faces and he was reminded of why he did this job; this job that put him in contact with so much pain and suffering and more often than not, the ugliness in the world. This was why he did this every day – to serve his fellow citizens, to help them out of life-threatening situations and give them support and comfort whenever he could.

'Sara, Elizabeth, why don't we sit for a minute' he said directing them to a spot at the back of one of the ambulances that was standing by. There wasn't a more intimate situation than sharing the personal lives of two women who were terrified for their husbands' safety and they had begun to refer to each other on a first name basis hours ago.

'You're going to hear what's going on through the paramedic and the police radios. Try to stay calm. The people in there have only one mission and that's to get Peter and Neal out of there and back to you' he said looking into their eyes

The women nodded but he could sense the level of anxiety in their eyes and he smiled once again, hoping to bring them a semblance of reassurance.

'The side of the car that Neal is on has sustained the most damage' he said

Sara's eyes widened as he continued to speak.

'Peter is more easily accessible. He was probably getting into the car when the collapse occurred. The driver's door is open and there's a single cement beam there blocking access to him. Peter is lying half way in the car with his left leg hanging out. The crews are going to start with him'

'But...' Sara began

John put his hand up gently asking her to be patient. 'The passenger side of the car suffered the most damage. There is much more debris on that side of the vehicle and the crew is evaluating if it's easier to get Neal out from the driver's side or dig him out from his side of the car'

Sara nodded but the look of worry in her eyes just intensified as Elizabeth reached out to take her friend's hand in hers.

'Peter and Neal are in bad shape, I will not try to tell you otherwise. We don't know the extent of their injuries yet but we do know that Peter's leg has been under a cement beam for almost twenty four hours so that will be a major issue. Neal, we're not as certain of since he's been unconscious most of the time but from what Peter tells us, he had been lucid at times which is very encouraging'

Again Sara nodded stoically thinking back to the long months following Neal's car accident and how he had struggled in every way to get his life back. She prayed this would not be a repeat of that horrible period in their lives. She'd been pregnant with Liam at the time and he had struggled with remembering everything in their lives including Hope's existence and their life as a family. But she held on to the few words she had heard him utter when Hope had spoken to him on the phone earlier. She knew how strong her husband was and that he would fight to stay alive and to return to his family.

John was once again speaking, doing his due diligence to prepare the women for what was about to happen over the next little while.

'They've both suffered from dehydration and they have been breathing in dust and debris for a long time so their breathing will be an issue. I just want you to know that the minute they are brought out, they will be receiving the best care possible. The hospital is on standby and ready for any and all eventuality.'

'What about Dr. Perez?' Sara asked thinking back to her request to bring in the specialist from the Brain Injury Clinic at Lenox Hill where Neal had been hospitalized and still visited every few months. She had asked that he be brought in to consult so the best decisions regarding Neal's head injury could be made promptly.

'He's already at Mount Sinai, waiting' answered Mendez 'as you requested'

Sara smiled and nodded.

'There's every chance that Peter will be coming out first. They'll stabilize him as best they can and they'll load him up into the ambulance. Elizabeth you can ride along. I'm certain that Neal won't be far behind, Sara, and once he's out, he will be assessed and you can go with him to the hospital. Right behind Peter' he insisted, as encouragement for Sara.

WCWCWC

'Agent Burke, Agent Burke' the soft female voice called out

Despite the level of activity around the car and the noise produced by the various pieces of machinery, Peter had somehow managed to slip into sleep - or was it unconsciousness, he didn't know - as the crews continued to work around them.

'Sir' said the young woman once again, forcing Peter to look up in her direction. She was standing in that small opening between the car door and the beam which, to Peter's dismay, was still as big as a house on his left leg. He could see the NY paramedic patch on her shoulder, a uniform he had seen hundreds of times over the years and he blinked to bring her into focus. She couldn't be more that 25 years old, if that, but the calm smile on her face was the most incredible thing Peter had ever seen.

'Sir, they're going to be lifting the beam off your leg in just one minute but I need you to try not to move your leg when they do that, okay? I'll be right here and as soon as I can get to you I need to check you out before we can actually move you. Can you do that?' she asked, finally her arm reaching out in the small space to gently touch his.

Peter nodded but no sound would come out. He was trained in first aid and had been the first on the scene of many accidents and shootings and he knew the drill. He just couldn't wait to get the hell out of this car.

Peter knew from his symptoms that he had severe dehydration, not only from not having had any liquids for almost twenty four hours but also from breathing in dust and debris; he suspected he had a collapsed lung – the left one – and he knew he had several fractures of his left leg. He just prayed that the small movements he had been able to make over the past several hours would allow him to keep his leg, his fear being that it might need to be amputated.

Beside him, Neal was out cold, having barely taken a sip of water before helplessly letting the bottle drop to the floor of the car. He could sense commotion on the passenger side of the car but the debris on that side seemed much larger and he hadn't seen anybody in that area yet.

Suddenly, a loud motor was heard and Peter could almost immediately start to feel the pressure on his leg start to diminish as he took in a deep breath of air. It took a little over a minute and the young woman was back in his sights carrying supplies and equipment and kneeling by his side.

'Good job, sir' she said

'I think consider...' Peter coughed, roughly 'considering the circumstances, you can call me Peter' he said as he smiled weakly

She was immediately bringing an oxygen mask to his face, cutting him off as she smiled back at him, the kind of smile that only comes from someone who's doing their job for all the right reasons.

'All right, Peter, we'll go with that' she was saying 'Now, I need you to start taking a few deep breaths'

Peter immediately began to feel some relief as he took a deep breath from the mask, turning his head towards Neal with a questioning look in his eyes.

'I know, Peter, you're worried about your partner. We're going to get to him in just a minute. Now I'm going to immobilize your leg as best I can and then we're going to have to carry you for a few feet to where we have a stretcher. All I need you to do is to keep breathing and try to let your body relax'

Peter was half hanging out of the car as it was and with the young woman giving directions, there were suddenly half a dozen big strapping men in his field of vision, ready to lift him out and carry him to safety... to Elizabeth.

He let himself relax as much as he possibly could considering the excruciating pain in his leg and within seconds he was lying prone on a stretcher and the young woman was hooking him up to an IV, probably liquids and some pain medication he thought as he felt himself slipping away.

WCWCWC

Sara and Elizabeth stood nearby, practically paralysed with fear, as they listened through the paramedic's radio to the exchange going on just a few feet away. They could hear Peter's voice and the young woman speaking calmly and softly to him and they heard the sound of the gurney being rolled on the uneven surface first through the radio, then finally they heard it as it got nearer to where they were standing.

Sara was terrified. She had heard the paramedic say that they would get to Neal as soon as they could. She knew that meant he was not as easily accessible as Peter had been; add to that the fact that Neal hadn't said a word and Sara's level of anxiety was off the charts. Despite herself, she continued to clutch her hands, looking down and noticing they were going white from the lack of circulation.

After what seemed like minutes, the stretcher came into view and Elizabeth caught sight of her husband lying unconscious, already hooked up to an IV. She ran the last few steps towards him, the paramedics briefly stepping aside to let her have a good look at her husband's face. It looked just like it always had when he slept except for the deep worry lines on his forehead which were surely a result of the pain he was still experiencing despite his lack of consciousness. He was pale but his face was otherwise as it always appeared and she took solace in that momentarily as she finally reached him and touched his arm.

'Peter' she called and somehow the sound of her voice temporarily brought him back and he slowly opened his eyes to look up at his wife's beautiful face, the face he had been focussing on for the last twenty four hours, the face that kept him going whenever the going got rough.

'Hi hon' he whispered through his mask making her laugh and cry at the same time as she realized he was fully conscious of his surroundings.

'Hi hon' she said back, de rigueur

The remaining paramedics began to crowd around him as they took vital signs, adjusted his IV and began reinforcing the makeshift splint on his leg. Elizabeth moved back and caught a glance of Sara's face a mixture of relief at seeing Peter safe and worry at what was to come. Sara made her way over and hugged Elizabeth tightly.

'Go, go with him' said Sara, her voice shaking 'Neal and I...' her voice broke 'Neal and I will be right behind you'

Elizabeth nodded and held Sara's hand, squeezing it and finally letting go and making her way to the ambulance to take her place next to Peter who had slipped away once again.

Sara smiled at her and turned back towards the debris.

Neal was still in there.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Amelia Douglas was a second year paramedic, not much experience one might say but an awful lot of heart. She had trained at a small community college and when she'd shown up as a potential new hire for the New York EMT program, some sharp human resource specialist had immediately detected her intrinsic worth and her potential contribution to their crew. She had impressed them with her deep level of commitment, her unwavering integrity, her amazing technical skills, her sharp street smarts and her sincere wish to help her fellow man any way she could. She'd been raised in a large family, the middle child of seven and helping out was just something you did, no questions asked. She had excelled in biology and other sciences and knew that she wanted to work in the health care field. That, coupled with her need for living in the moment and her calmness under pressure made her a natural for a job as a paramedic where you had to think on your feet and remain composed at all times.

When the supervisor of the crew assigned to the garage collapse had asked for a couple of volunteers to go into the rubble and do the initial triage and prepare the two victims to be brought out for proper evaluation, Amelia had not hesitated one second. She didn't need any of the status or glamour (if there was such a thing as glamour) associated with being a paramedic. She liked to be in on the ground floor, giving people the support they needed when tragedy struck.

Once Peter was safely handed over to her colleagues on the other side of the mess, she got to work immediately assessing Neal's condition and what needed to happen to get him safely to hospital – after all that was her job in a nutshell.

'Do you think he can be removed from this side of the car or do you want us to start digging up the passenger side?' asked Charlie Wentzell as he and Amelia stood by the open car door discussing strategy.

'I'm just going to have a look and see if he can be pried out of that space between the seat and the car' she said as she knelt down in the seat that Peter had just vacated.

'Mr Caffrey? Neal? Can you hear me?' she asked as she leaned in to take stock of the situation

Sara could hear the conversation taking place in the rubble through the sketchy radio of the paramedic team standing nearby.

The silence that followed was the more horrifying part of the exchange as Sara endeavoured to keep breathing and not lose it in front of everyone assembled. Peter had been gone less than five minutes but she thought it was taking entirely too long for Neal to exit the rubble and she continued wringing her hands as John Mendez sat beside her, keeping her company. All she could do was pray that she would soon hear Neal's voice on that scratchy radio.

WCWCWC

It was a beautiful summer day and Neal took a long deep breath of the cool lake air; he loved being up here at the cottage by Lake Muskoka. He and Sara brought the kids up here every summer and the trip was synonymous with rest and relaxation; an opportunity to get away from their busy lives in a big city. It was a chance for the couple to show their children what was really important in life: family and comfort.

He glanced over at Liam who was sitting by the water with a pail and shovel and watched as his son giggled and added another scoopful of sand to the bucket.

'Look Daddy!' he heard Hope say 'I'm gonna do a cannonball'

She covered her eyes to shield them from the sun and waved to him from the end of the dock as she prepared to dazzle him with her aquatic prowess.

'_**Neal, can you hear me?' **_he heard from somewhere to his left

He looked over his shoulder and saw Sara sitting on the veranda of the picturesque cottage with her wide brim hat, magazine in hand and he gave her a little wave but she seemed engrossed in what she was reading.

The feeling of contentment was overwhelming – he felt so comfortable and happy when they were at the –

'_**Neal, can you open your eyes for me?'**_ Who the hell was that?

'_**Neal, Neal, I need you to look at me.'**_ Okay, that was pretty insistent – and annoying – he thought as the voice continued to interfere with the peacefulness of the lake and its crisp, clean air.

Despite his sense of well-being, Neal managed to pry his eyes open and he came face to face with a pretty young woman with dark skin, bright brown eyes and a soft smile.

'There you are. I'm Amelia and I'm going to help get you out of here, okay?' she was saying as Neal began to slowly connect with reality.

WCWCWC

Peter's arrival at the emergency room of Mount Sinai was expected, by all appearances. No less than two doctors and four nurses were standing by when he was wheeled in and brought to one of the cubicles for a proper assessment. The paramedics had given him something for the intense pain in his leg and he was floating in and out of consciousness as they had continued to assess him for any and all injuries.

Elizabeth had sat patiently nearby in the ambulance, knowing better than to interfere and trying her best to decode the discussion between the two EMT's – they were throwing out words like punctured lung, low oxygen levels, crush injury, circulation...

She was staying clear of them, letting them do their job when all she wanted to do was to sit right at Peter's side and hold his hand, whispering sweet nothings which would make him all better. His face was paler than pale and despite the oxygen mask, he would cough sporadically and they would attend to him to keep him calm.

'Is this Burke of Caffrey?' asked a nurse of the lead paramedic as they arrived in the ER cubicle

'This is Burke, oxygen level 62, crushed tibia and fibula' he responded

'And you've been giving him oxygen for how long?' asked the attending physician

'About twenty minutes' he responded

'Let's check for possible pneumothorax and injured ribs, people!' he ordered to no one in particular

Elizabeth watched in amazement as everyone in the ER began to take on their individual roles, working efficiently as her husband lay unconscious. An attendant came in and placed Peter's personal effects on a nearby chair. Most of his clothing had been removed in the ambulance and Elizabeth spied the offending tie on top of the pile of clothes as she held back a gasp. She slowly walked over, picking it up and caressing it as she continued to look over at the stretcher where her husband lay, inanimate.

'Mrs. Burke, can you come with me please? We need to run some tests on your husband before we can tell you anything definitive and I need you to fill out some forms' said the young nurse as she took Elizabeth's elbow and led her out of the small room. Although her touch was gentle, there was no mistaking that she meant business and that Elizabeth was expected to comply, no matter what.

El took one last lingering look at Peter and let herself be led out into the corridor.

WCWCWC

Sara exhaled as she heard a rough cough, one she immediately recognized as belonging to her husband. She could hear some moaning and unusual noises but that was definitely Neal and he seemed to be coming to, she realized with relief.

Neal continued to cough violently as he began to get his bearings. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten where he was – hell, he didn't even know _where_ he was. Somehow, the young woman's face radiated kindness and he let himself be carried off on a wave of calmness and serenity.

'My wife...' he said hesitantly, his voice low

'Your wife is waiting for you right outside, Neal' said Amelia, her voice calm and reassuring. 'And I'm going to bring you to her as soon as I can get you out of here. Right now I need to find out where you're hurt. Tell me about any pain you're having'

'My head...' said Neal, barely a whisper 'my leg, my arm'

Amelia reached over trying to assess if Neal's right arm and leg could be dislodged from the tight space they were jammed in. The passenger door of the car had obviously caved in on the right side of his body, keeping him jammed but from the level of pain he seemed to be describing, she ventured a guess that despite some brutal bruising, he did not appear to have fractures to any of the main bones in his arm and leg.

'Neal, I'm going to try to pry your leg free, okay?' she asked as she began to try to introduce her hand between the door and Neal's leg. She was dismayed to realize that there was no give whatsoever.

'Neal, here's an oxygen mask. I'm putting this on your face to help you breathe. Take some deep breaths and I'll be right back' she said as she pulled the mask over Neal's confused face

Amelia made her way to Charlie Wentzell and his crew who were standing directly behind Peter's wreck of a car.

'His leg and arm are jammed and probably badly swollen. We're going to need your help to create some space so we can get him out' she reported.

Charlie turned to his crew and the firefighters who were assembled nearby with specialized equipment, namely the infamous Jaws of Life.

'The way I see it' he said to his colleagues 'we can try to rip the car apart from this side and jar him loose which will take some time or we can go at it from the other side which is a major undertaking because we have to solidify some more of the roof before we remove some of that debris'

Either way, it was going to take some time, time that Amelia wasn't sure Neal had. She let the men continue their discussion and made her way outside to report to her supervisor.

Sara spotted the young woman exiting the garage and immediately stood to greet her. Although, Amelia had to report to her supervisor, she locked eyes with Sara, silently inviting her and Mendez to follow her and listen in on what she had to report.

'Sir, the crew is debating the best way to get Mr. Caffrey out so I thought I would take a moment to give you a brief update' she said as the group assembled off to the side

'His right arm and leg are tightly jammed between the seat and the door and, either way, it's going to take some time to get him out' she continued

The supervisor looked at the young paramedic 'What do you suspect as far as injuries?' he asked

'He has a large gash above his right eye – approximately three inches and very deep. He is definitely concussed as evidenced by his difficulty to stay connected with reality. His leg and arm may have some minor fractures but although they're jammed they are not crushed like Mr. Burke's leg was' she answered, efficiently

Sara piped up: 'Are you aware of my husband's history?' she asked, her voice shaking

Amelia nodded. 'I understand he sustained a serious head trauma a few years back?'

'Yes' volunteered Sara 'Four years ago, Neal suffered from retrograde amnesia following a car accident. He still struggles at times with memory and he's still being seen at the Brain Injury Clinic'

'Ma'am' said Amelia. Sara frowned at the term. 'Sara, your husband was quite lucid a moment ago and he asked about you'

Sara smiled at this as a sense of relief washed over her.

'He asked me to give you a message. He said to say 'I love you, Repo'

Sara gasped as her hand went instinctively to her mouth and she began to smile and cry at the same time.

'Can you give him a message from me?' she asked as her composure returned

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Elizabeth Burke sat in the waiting room of Mount Sinai Hospital, absentmindedly clutching the ugliest tie that ever was and waiting for news about her husband's condition. The emergency room doctor had explained that his left leg had been badly crushed and that he had a total of eight fractures to the various bones up and down his leg. The surgeon was hoping to save the leg although they warned El that there was a distinct possibility that it would have to be amputated if it was found to have gone too long without any oxygenation.

His left lung had been punctured and would be repaired in surgery as the pressure from the escaped air continued to press on his ribcage and lungs making breathing difficult.

The Harvard crew had begun to assemble for the vigil. Neal had still not made it to the hospital, but their boss was in the OR and they all wanted to be nearby to support Elizabeth and be there when Neal finally made it to the hospital.

Diana slowly made her way to where Elizabeth was sitting and took the chair next to her, draping her arm casually over the back of her seat and bringing it down to touch Elizabeth's shoulder.

'Can I get you anything?' she asked softly

Elizabeth looked at her, eyes brimming with tears and shook her head, lifting the lucky tie in her hand: 'Peter and I had a stupid argument yesterday morning about the tie'

'Ah, the 'lucky tie' that no one can stand – especially Neal!' said Diana with a small laugh, glad to have a lighter topic of conversation

'Neal convinced me to throw it out and I had, but Peter wouldn't hear of it' El answered, her voice far away

'Well, he _does _love that tie. Look, Elizabeth, Peter is alive, against all odds – that's gotta mean something, right? I guess _it is_ a lucky tie, after all' said Diana, hoping to elicit a small smile from Peter's wife.

The waiting continued.

WCWCWC

Amelia had made her way back to the car and was sitting next to an unconscious Neal. Since their brief exchange earlier, she had been unable to rouse him again from unconsciousness despite her best efforts. She had cleaned the gash over his right eye and bandaged it and had given him a cursory once over to make sure there were no other undetected injuries.

'We're going to start in a minute' said Charlie Wentzell as he knelt down to talk to her. 'How's he doing?'

'It's hard to tell. I can't keep him conscious. I suspect he's suffering from a subdural hematoma and the longer the pressure builds on his brain, the more danger he's in. Please be as quick as you can' she said calmly all the while relating the urgency of Neal's situation.

Wentzell had determined that with help from the firefighters, their best bet was to get Neal out from the driver's side. If they opted for the passenger side of the car, they had at least an hour's work removing the debris and there was no guarantee they would be able to wrench the passenger door open to get Neal out. He determined that it would be faster to open up the top of the car with the giant can opener known as the Jaws of Life and reach the passenger door through the inside. Then with a compressor, they could build up pressure against the door itself, creating just enough space for them to pull Neal's leg and arm away from the door.

Amelia's job was to sit behind him while they worked so she could continue to monitor his vital signs and at the appropriate time, release his body from the tomblike vehicle. She crawled into the back seat of the car, positioning herself behind Neal and she tilted his seat back so she could keep an eye on him while the crew worked. He seemed calm where before he had been agitated and his breathing was steady and even. She looked at his face, peaceful despite the situation, and wondered where his mind was at.

WCWCWC

Paris was beautiful at this time of year, Neal thought: the flowers, the energy, the people. He sat outside the small café sipping his café au lait and taking in the sights once more. He waved as he spotted Mozzie making his way across the Avenue des Champs-Élysées towards him.

'Moz! It's a beautiful day' said Neal, squinting into the sun

'Neal, I think the Police nationale is on to us' Mozzie said, his voice a crescendo

'No, Moz, they don't know we did it' answered Neal in that dismissive way he had of talking when he thought Mozzie was being overly paranoid

'I'm telling you Neal...' insisted Mozzie

'Arrêtez, arrêtez!' they heard coming from behind them

Two gendarmes were running towards them as Neal and Mozzie began to scurry towards their apartment.

'Dammit' said Neal as he sprinted, out of breath

WCWCWC

Amelia looked down at Neal, noticing his breathing quickening and his face contorting. Whatever he was imagining or dreaming was upsetting him and she tried once again to bring him back to the here and now.

'Dammit, there onto us' Neal mumbled, seemingly upset with his head shaking from side to side

'Neal? Neal are you with me?' she asked, hoping to bring him back and pull him away from wherever his mind was at.

'Neal, listen, you need to stay calm. Sara... Sara wanted me to tell you something earlier. She wanted me to remind you that Hope and Liam – they're waiting for you, they're waiting for their daddy to come home' said Amelia in a last ditch effort to calm her patient.

Neal's breathing seemed to slow down slightly at this and she held on to his shoulder as she spoke to him. The men had managed to rip open part of the roof of the car and were preparing to pry the passenger side away from the rest of the vehicle in an effort to leave just enough room to get Neal's body away from its grip. Amelia's job was to keep monitoring him and keep him calm – she wasn't much of a believer but despite herself, she said a small prayer.

WCWCWC

'He's beautiful' said Neal as he looked down at his newborn son 'You did great, Sara'

'_We_ did great' she corrected 'Thanks for not giving up on me, Caffrey'

Sara lifted her head and placed a kiss on their son's forehead as Neal looked on, totally content.

They had waited so long for this little guy and here he was, finally, perfect in every way.

'What do you think of your baby brother?' Neal asked turning towards Hope

'He's just perfect. Are you sure we can't call him Donatello?' she asked as she gently touched his nose

Neal and Sara laughed and Neal looked on at his family and in that moment, he could not have asked for anything more.

WCWCWC

Neal's breathing had returned to normal and Amelia let out a sigh of relief. She hoped that somewhere deep in his psyche, he was hearing her and responding to her cues. The last thing she needed was Neal thrashing around the car at such a critical moment.

The workmen were finally ready to give the final push that would free Neal from his temporary prison. Amelia placed her hand along Neal's leg, ready to give it a tug when the time came. The compressor was turned on and began pushing against the car door creating just enough space for Neal to be freed. It only took a second and Amelia was able to pull Neal's pant leg and finally release him, eliciting a soft moan from his lips as she did.

Neal stirred, his eyes opening slightly as he took in the sight of his surroundings, a small smile on his lips.

WCWCWC

'Mrs. Burke, the doctor has sent me out to give you a progress report' said the nurse as she stood in the waiting room looking down at Elizabeth

There were over twenty of them now, all assembled for one reason: to be there for Peter and Neal and their families. Peter had been in surgery for over an hour and there was still no word about Neal. Elizabeth hoped that he was down in the emergency room but she didn't dare call Sara until her friend reached out to her first. She knew that Sara would call as soon as she could. Her thoughts returned to the woman standing in front of her, ready to bring her up to date on her husband's condition.

'The doctor has repaired the tear to your husband's left lung and that part of the operation is over' she said, smiling. 'They are now going to turn their attention to his leg. That could take several hours but we'll keep you posted'

'Will they be able to save it?' she asked, her voice trembling

'I can't answer that at this point' she answered, patiently. 'The doctor will see you as soon as he can'

Elizabeth looked on in shock, relieved that Peter would pull through but in disbelief that he might lose his leg. The group gathered around and she let herself fall back in the chair.

WCWCWC

'They're coming out!' said John Mendez as he looked at Sara

Sara could hear the gurney coming in the distance and she ran to where she had seen them bring Peter out, holding her breath, afraid of what state Neal would be in when he finally appeared.

Amelia was walking alongside him as they came out and Sara ran the last few steps to them.

'Neal' she let out, almost a whisper as she got her first glimpse of her husband

He looked so fragile, lying there unresponsive and she wanted more than anything to see him open his eyes and say something – anything – to her.

'He was conscious for just a moment before we got him out and then he passed out again' said Amelia to her colleagues as she glanced at Sara

'Let's get him loaded up!' called out one of the other paramedics

Within seconds, Neal was secured in the back of the ambulance while Amelia and a second EMT saw to him. Sara was seated near his head watching breathlessly as the paramedics began hooking him up to an oxygen monitor as well as an intravenous drip. The EMTs began to take some of his clothing off in order to better examine him and they re-placed the oxygen mask on his face. They took in the appearance of his right side, bruising evident all along his leg and arm and he winced slightly at their touch.

Sara began to stroke his hair, mindlessly as she took in the sight of him. Except for the large bandage on his head, he looked relatively normal, as if he were peacefully asleep.

'It's okay, Neal. It's okay. You're going to be alright' said Sara, over and over again as she continued to stroke his hair

WCWCWC

'You're going to be alright' said Sara

'I know' said Neal, pouting 'but it feels good, keep rubbing'

'You're such a wuss' said Sara as she cradled his head in her lap and continued to rub his hair. 'It's just a cookbook...'

'Just a cookbook? It's a freaking encyclopedia... that book has _at least_ 600 pages' said Neal, sounding more like an injured two year old than a grown man

'Oh, poor baby' said Sara 'Next time, use the step stool when you're reaching for something in the back of the cupboard'

He smiled as she continued to rub his head.

WCWCWC

Sara could hear the sirens blaring as they made their way through the streets of Manhattan towards Mount Sinai Hospital. Just a few more minutes and Neal would be in the hands of the best medical team possible.

'Hold on, Caffrey, hold on' she repeated

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The emergency room staff of Mount Sinai Hospital greeted Neal Caffrey in the same manner they had welcomed his partner, Peter Burke – with professionalism and an outpouring of expert care. He was immediately wheeled into an examination room and contrary to Elizabeth, Sara was ambushed from the very moment they walked in.

'Mrs Caffrey, you need to let the doctors examine your husband. Please come with me' said one of the nurses as she steered Sara away from following the gurney

'But...' said Sara

'Just for a minute, let the doctors do their job - please' she said, leading her over to a nearby waiting area.

Amelia was standing at the nurses' station with her partner, filling out the requisite transfer forms when she spotted Sara nearby looking very upset. Without hesitation, the young woman made her way to where Sara was sitting.

'Mrs. Caffrey - Sara, can I get you anything? Something to drink?' she said, her voice soft and low

Sara looked up through her tears at the young woman and shook her head.

'Can I call someone for you?' Amelia asked, her voice filled with compassion

'Mozzie...' Sara said under her breath

'Would you like me to call... Mozzie?' the paramedic asked

'No, it's okay. I'll do it. Thank you for everything; you've been so kind' said Sara as she began to search her purse for her phone.

'It's my job. Look, we don't have any other calls right now. Would it help if I sit here with you until your friend gets here?' she asked, touching Sara's arm gently

'Yeah, that would be really nice, thanks' whispered Sara

WCWCWC

Dr. Perez stood next to Dr. James Fisher, the emergency room doctor on duty as the two men began studying Neal's CT scan and MRI results. Neal lay nearby, still unconscious and oblivious to the discussions regarding his condition.

'Well, at least we've got regular brain activity' said Dr. Fisher as he studied the scan 'that's definitely good news'

'You can see the large hematoma right here' Dr. Perez was saying as he pointed to the image

The other man nodded, knowingly. 'That thing's putting an awful lot of pressure on the patient's brain and it's not going to dissipate by itself' said Dr. Fisher

'I agree, and it's pressing on his medial temporal lobe where Neal has suffered a serious trauma already. With his history, surgery is extremely risky but not going in has an even worse prognosis. Would you like me to talk with his wife?' he asked

Dr. Fisher nodded.

WCWCWC

'So, tell me about your children' said Amelia looking into Sara's face

Sara grinned, despite her anguish and worry. Thinking about her and Neal's children did that to her – they were her proudest accomplishment and the thought of them never failed to produce a smile.

'Hope, our daughter - she just turned nine. She and her dad have a very special bond and a great relationship. She's an artist, like Neal. She has his talent and his blue eyes and my perseverance...'

'Neal's an artist?' asked the young woman

'Yeah, an excellent one. He has a studio at home and he paints and sculpts and Hope, well, she just loves to spend time with her dad. She even has her own space in the studio' Sara confided

It felt good to talk about something positive for a change, thought Sara as she imagined Neal and Hope, chatting and giggling as she often heard them do when they were together.

'And Liam, well, he's our special little guy' said Sara with a faraway look in her eyes. Although she barely knew this young woman sitting by her side, she felt at ease and suddenly she had the urge to share personal information about herself and her family.

'You see, I'm an ovarian cancer survivor' continued Sara as Amelia listened intently 'and we didn't think we would ever have another baby but Neal – well, Neal never gave up. Against all odds, I got pregnant with Liam and he was born almost four years ago. He's our miracle baby; he's a very easygoing kid, he loves sports and he loves his daddy. He's got the most amazing green eyes and golden hair and he's just, you know, like a little ray of sunshine'

'It sounds like you have a beautiful family' said the young woman

'I'm sorry, here I am going on and on and I don't even know your name' said Sara, staring at the paramedic who had been instrumental in keeping her husband alive

'Amelia, Amelia Douglas' she answered

'Well, Amelia Douglas, you are a wonderful young lady and a credit to your parents. Thanks for everything you've done for us today' said Sara touching the young woman's hand lightly

Amelia smiled shyly, uncomfortable with the compliment.

'It's my pleasure. And I'll say a little prayer for your husband tonight if you like' she said

Sara smiled at her in response. They were interrupted by a nurse summoning Sara to meet with Dr. Perez; he was finally ready to talk with her. Sara was whisked to a small meeting room off the ER where Dr. Perez was already waiting and he stood as she stepped into the room.

'Sara, how are you doing?' he asked with a small smile as he shook her hand

Sara Ellis-Caffrey just shrugged.

'Sit down, please. I need to explain what's going on with Neal. He has injuries to his right leg and arm – some small bone fractures and a lot of bruising but we've got that all under control. The issue, as you can well imagine, is his head injury' explained the doctor, patiently

Sara nodded knowingly and held her breath preparing for the next words out of the doctor's mouth. Although she had met him on a couple of occasions, she didn't know him well; she did however trust that he knew Neal's situation and that he would be straight with her about what was going on.

'Contrary to Neal's first accident which caused an injury to his temporal lobe, this time Neal is suffering from a subdural hematoma. This is an accumulation of blood right under his skull which is pushing on his brain. Sometimes, when the hematoma is small, the body will absorb it and we can let it heal by itself but not in this situation. It's too large and Neal's brain is already compromised by his earlier injury'

'So, you have to operate?' asked Sara, trying to cut to the chase

'I believe Neal has a better chance of coming out of this if we operate rather than not' he said, plainly

'Better chance? You mean, he could die?' asked Sara

'I'm not going to mince words, Sara. This is extremely risky surgery – but it's all we've got in this case. You have Neal's power of attorney and you need to tell us what you'd like us to do' he said as he leaned in to touch her arm

Sara exhaled and pursed her lips, totally shocked at what she'd just heard. It had been over ten years since she'd made any significant decision about anything in her life without discussing it with Neal first. They were a team and whenever they had to make any kind of major decision, they did it together, as a team. She was being asked to make a life and death decision about the man she loved and she wished more than anything that Neal could weigh in – after all, this was _his_ life.

'What if you don't do anything?' she asked wanting to make certain she understood her options properly

'I believe that Neal will not survive the pressure on his brain for more than a few hours. It will cause irreparable brain damage' said Dr. Perez

'And there's no other option? Medication? Anything?' Sara asked

He shook his head.

'Would you do the surgery?' she asked

'Yes, I would' he said

She took one last deep breath. 'Then, do it, operate'

Moments later, Sara was lead into the room Neal was being kept in until his surgery. The team for this highly risky procedure was being called in and she took advantage of the few minutes before they began prepping her husband to sit and talk to him. She looked down at his familiar face. Wherever his mind was at, it appeared to be a peaceful place.

'Neal, I'm here, right here and I'm not going anywhere until you walk out of this place with me. We have been through so much but we're not done yet, baby, not even close. So don't you even _think about _checking out. The kids need us, Neal, they need both of us and I... I need _you_. I need you as badly as I need the air that I breathe. Do you hear me?'

Neal lay motionless as she spoke, his beautiful face as it always was when he slept, calm and relaxed.

'I love you Caffrey' she whispered finally as she kissed his lips and ran a hand through his hair.

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Neal was walking through a large field of daisies. He looked ahead, behind, to his left, to his right – the field was unending, seemingly with no beginning and no end. He continued to walk, breathing in the clean, fresh air. He didn't know where he was headed but he knew he had to keep moving.

'Neal!' he heard from somewhere behind him

He turned but he couldn't see anyone. He took a few more steps, determined to go on.

'Neal!' the female voice repeated, more insistent this time

He turned and saw Sara, way off in the distance. He could see her coming towards him. She was wearing a large brimmed hat and waving rather urgently at him. He waved back but he continued walking away from her.

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It was now past ten o'clock on a Saturday night. Sara had joined Elizabeth and the rest of their friends in the surgical waiting room. Mozzie had arrived, having dropped off Liam at the Masons and he sat, nervously, surrounded by suits, suits and more suits – not his usual crowd. He was accompanied by June, Neal's de facto mom, who sat quietly in a corner, looking old beyond her years as she contemplated what was in store for the man she thought of as her son.

Peter had been in the operating room since about six o'clock and they were expecting news any minute. Neal, on the other hand, had been prepped and wheeled into OR number 6 shortly after eight o'clock. It had taken almost an hour to assemble the very specialized team that would be carrying out his surgery which was expected to last from five to six hours.

Some of the White Collar gang had gone out to get food for the group and styrofoam containers of half eaten food littered the waiting area as some sat, others paced and still others napped as they waited for news about Peter and Neal.

Sara sat with Elizabeth, both of them trying to put on a brave face for everyone. If they fell apart, their friends might too...

Elizabeth was still unsure as to whether Peter would come out of surgery with one leg or two. The lack of oxygen and blood to his leg had left it compromised, and although the surgeons were dealing with the fractures one by one, there were no assurances that blood flow to his leg would resume, leaving the very real possibility that his leg would have to be amputated. Despite herself, she tried to imagine what that would do to Peter. He was a very active man, his job dictated it – and he loved going on runs and playing baseball and pickup hockey. She shook her head, trying to dispel the image of Peter in a wheelchair, Peter on crutches, Peter with a prosthetic leg.

Although the women were mere inches away from each other, their thoughts were miles apart. Sara's mind was drawn back to the last time she waited for news about Neal following his car accident four years before. He had been sitting in a taxi on his way to pick up Hope at school when a bus had hit the cab, the collision causing a serious brain injury. Neal's memory loss still had repercussions on their lives today. Sure, Neal had recovered most of his memories and had begun to build again but he still grew frustrated whenever a small detail of their early years escaped him. Sometimes, it was insignificant – a conversation Neal and Sara'd had at some point in time, other times it was something Hope had done as a baby and those were the situations that annoyed and upset Neal the most.

But he had come a long way and they had been able to rebuild on new memories after Liam's birth. The thought that his cognition could be affected once again was terrifying for Sara as she continued to await news from the surgeon. The last time, he had not needed surgery but they had waited a couple of days for Neal to regain consciousness only to realize that he knew nothing of his present day life.

This time, Neal stood to lose much more than pieces of his past – he could leave his life on that operating table.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

'Hope, when are Mommy and Daddy coming home?' asked Liam, his green eyes bright and intense. He was tucked under his big sister's arm as they watched a movie together in the Masons' family room.

'Soon, Liam. Mommy's just taking care of Daddy at the hospital' she responded as she looked down at her little brother

'Is Daddy sick?' he asked, looking up at her

'He had a little accident but he'll be home soon' she responded giving the little boy just enough information

At nine years old, Hope took her role as big sister very seriously. There had been very little of the usual sibling rivalry when Liam was born. After all, she was already five years old at the time, old enough to understand about little babies and how precious and important they were. Over the years, Neal and Sara had continued to connect with each one of their children individually and Hope had always had a very unique and special bond with each of them – especially with her dad with whom she shared a love of the arts.

She had spoken to her mom on the phone a few times throughout the day and she knew the situation with her dad was serious; her mom wasn't pulling any punches and she had been honest and truthful with her daughter about the severity of Neal's condition. There was no need for little Liam to know the details at this point, thought Hope – her job was to keep an eye on her little brother until her parents came home.

She gave him a little squeeze and tried to return her attention to the television; her mind continued to wander but her little brother didn't need to know that.

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'Honey, that was an amazing dinner. Thank you' said John Mendez as he bounced his two year old daughter, Sophia, on his knee. She giggled at the sight of her dad and he gave her a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead before putting her down. She ran towards her brothers, laughing as she toddled away.

'I know you had a rough night – and day' said Teresa Mendez, smiling at her husband

'Well, we did the best we could and now all we can do is hope those two men pull through' he added with a faraway look

'You know, I can handle the kids bedtime if you want to make a run to the hospital' she said, taking away his plate

She knew her husband well. It wasn't just a job for him – he truly cared about each case he worked on and the people involved. John jumped up from his chair making his way over to his wife and putting an arm around her waist as he kissed her deeply on the lips.

'Thanks honey, you're the best' he said

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The waiting room was getting more jam packed by the hour. As well as the crew from the White Collar Unit, Mozzie and June, some of the emergency workers who had dug the men out were also present. John Mendez sat alongside two of his officers as did an off-duty Amelia Douglas and her partner. It was almost eleven o'clock when the door to the waiting room opened and the surgeon who had taken on Peter's case, Dr. Mark Hudson, strode in with news.

'Mrs. Burke' said the surgeon as he walked directly towards Elizabeth

Although he had spoken softly, everyone in the room stood to gather around Elizabeth as she rose to greet him. He looked around, questioningly, wondering if he could speak freely in front of everyone present.

'It's okay' said Elizabeth 'they're all family'

The surgeon nodded and continued: 'Your husband is out of surgery and he did an amazing job. We were able to repair the damage to all the broken bones in his leg and his lung is fully functioning now'

'So, his leg...?' Elizabeth wasn't sure how to frame the question

'His leg is intact for the moment. He doesn't presently have the necessary flow of blood and oxygen to have a fully functioning limb but we believe there is still a chance to save it. I wanted to discuss a fairly new procedure with you that might help Peter keep the use of his leg' said Dr. Hudson

Elizabeth listened intently, concerned yet curious and strangely reassured by what the doctor had just said.

'We are getting excellent results in clinical studies with the use of hypobaric oxygen therapy in cases like Peter's. When the body or one of its parts has been deprived of oxygen for a long period of time, this therapy can help restore most, if not all, of its function'

Elizabeth continued to stare, trying to fully understand what the doctor was saying. Sara touched her back, reassuringly, reminding her that she wasn't alone – that they were all there to help her fully comprehend what was being explained.

'The hospital has one of these hypobaric chambers - the air pressure inside it is about two and half times greater than the normal pressure in the atmosphere. This helps the blood carry more oxygen to damaged organs and tissues in the body. I believe Peter could greatly benefit with this technology and that he would have an increased chance of keeping his leg' he continued

'How many treatments would he need?' asked Elizabeth

'That would depend on his progress – I would recommend starting with five treatments of two hours each and reassess his progress as we go along. If you agree, we can give him a treatment tonight, as soon as he fully comes out of the anaesthetic' explained the man

Sara squeezed Elizabeth's shoulder in encouragement and smiled at her friend.

'Can Elizabeth be with him while he's having these treatments?' she asked

'Yes, she can sit just outside the chamber and we even have a communications system – like a telephone of sorts – so she can talk to him' explained the surgeon

'All right, thank you doctor. When can I see him?' asked Elizabeth looking and feeling more optimistic than she had in the past twenty four hours

'We'll let you know as soon as he comes out of the recovery room' said the doctor

There was a collective sigh of relief in the room as everyone took in the encouraging news about Peter's condition. But that was only half the battle; they all took their seats once again as the vigil continued, this time for their friend and colleague, Neal Caffrey. Sara looked around at the many faces around the room and took comfort in their presence and support – she wasn't alone.

WCWCWC

Sara had met with Dr. Perez prior to the beginning of Neal's surgery. He wanted to make certain she understood the nature of the surgery he would be undergoing, the risks involved during and after the procedure and he wanted to give her the chance to ask questions of him before they began.

The procedure was called a craniotomy and it consisted of cutting open the cranium by removing a bone flap, eliminating the blood clot in order to decompress the brain and stop any active subdural bleeding. Dr. Perez was one of a dozen or so surgeons in the country trained to carry out this procedure and he had explained the risks to Sara as he showed her Neal's CT scan and how he would proceed. At 44 years of age, Neal was still relatively young and he was physically fit which were definite points in his favor however his history of brain injury was a check in the risk column as was the large size of his hematoma. He had explained to Sara the risks inherent with such a surgery; he wasn't a big believer in throwing out odds or percentages but Sara could tell by the explanations he was giving that this was a highly risky operation that could go either way. If Neal survived the next few hours, there was no way of knowing how he would be affected by the fact that there had been this excessive pressure on his brain for the past twenty four hours. Dr. Perez continued with the possible post-operative complications which included continued intracranial pressure, residual neurological problems as well as posttraumatic seizures.

The odds were stacked against Neal but he had always risen above any poor odds in the past and Sara clung to the thought he would find a way to come through – to come back to his family.

It was almost midnight and Dr. Perez and his team continued to work on Neal. The operation was gruelling both physically and mentally. One small knick and it could be 'game over' for their patient. This type of surgery wasn't run of the mill, and a number of students and residents sat in the operating room gallery watching the specialist's every move. The clock ticked into Sunday morning.

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Neal continued his trek throughout the never-ending field of flowers. It was certainly not unpleasant by any means – he just wasn't sure where he was going and most importantly why. But somewhere deep inside, he knew he had to keep going. He'd been walking for hours but surprisingly he wasn't physically tired, just kept putting one foot in front of the other towards the horizon where he had no idea what was waiting for him. Sara's voice, which he had been hearing behind him a while back had disappeared for the moment and he continued to walk at a steady pace enjoying the beautiful scenery and the clean, fresh air. At one point, he thought he heard a child giggling but when he looked around, he didn't see anything, so he soldiered on.

WCWCWC

Elizabeth walked into the intensive care unit where Peter had been transferred following his surgery. He was slowly coming out of the anaesthetic and El sat by his bedside patiently waiting for him to awaken.

'Hi hon' he said as he opened his eyes seeing El's face smiling down at him

'Hey, you. Nice to see you' she said

'How's Neal?' he asked even before inquiring about his own condition. Those two were joined at the hip and when one suffered, the other did too – and it had been like that for a long time.

'He's still in surgery. He has a blood clot pressing against his brain' she said as she ran her hands through Peter's hair

'Is he... is he going to make it?' he asked, his eyes suddenly sad

'It's touch and go, honey. Everyone's waiting for news'

Peter sighed.

'My leg...' he said, looking down at the large cast on his left leg

'They've set the bones for now but they're worried about the lack of blood and oxygen' answered Elizabeth

She needed to be honest and truthful with her husband. Their marriage was based on trust and this was no time to be keeping anything from him about his condition. Whatever was ahead, they would face it together as they always did.

'But they didn't amputate it' he said, relieved

'The doctor suggested you have treatments in the hospital's hypobaric oxygen tank. It will help get blood flow and oxygen flowing to your leg. There are no guarantees but they've had a lot of success with this treatment in clinical trials. Honey, I think you should definitely give it a chance'

Peter nodded 'Yeah, of course' he said, seeing the worry in her eyes and touching her face

'Hey, El, I'm alive. I'm okay!' he said trying to get her to smile

She did but her smile was accompanied by a flood of tears as the reality of the situation finally hit home. Peter lifted his arm, pulling her in to him and Elizabeth melted in her husband's side.

WCWCWC

_Sara looked down at the beautiful pearl white lilies lying on the dark ebony coffin. How could this have happened? She heard whimpering behind her and turned to see Hope with her face buried in her Aunt Elizabeth's side. Liam sat nearby, face ashen, looking straight ahead with Mozzie at his side._

_Her children were fatherless and they would be for the rest of their lives. Would Liam even remember his dad? He was barely 4 years old... How could she possibly go on without Neal in her life? It was an impossible feat and she turned back towards her husband's lifeless face as the reality hit once again._

'_Neal, Neal, no, no, Neal' she screamed as she descended into hysteria_

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Sara looked down at the beautiful pearl white lilies lying on the dark ebony coffin. How could this have happened? She heard whimpering behind her and turned to see Hope with her face buried in her Aunt Elizabeth's side. Liam sat nearby, face ashen, looking straight ahead with Mozzie at his side._

_Her children were fatherless and they would be for the rest of their lives. Would Liam even remember his dad? He was barely 4 years old... How could she possibly go on without Neal in her life? It was an impossible feat and she turned back towards her husband's lifeless face as the reality hit once again._

'_Neal, Neal, no, no, Neal' she screamed as she descended into hysteria_

'Mrs. Caffrey? Mrs. Caffrey?' a disembodied voice called out urgently as she felt herself being gently shaken awake

Sara opened her eyes, coming face to face with one of the ICU nurses.

'Are you all right?' the woman said, worry in her eyes

Sara took in her surroundings as the nightmare slowly began to fade, only to be replaced by the frightening reality of what was _really _happening to Neal. She blinked, glancing at the clock on the wall, realizing it was early Sunday morning. She composed herself, finally able to respond.

'I guess I was having a bad dream' she said hesitantly 'Is there any news on my husband yet?'

'Not yet, but it shouldn't be long now. Here, why don't you have a little bit of water' added the nurse kindly as she handed her a glass

As Neal's return from surgery had become imminent, Sara had been escorted to the intensive care unit and allowed to sit next to the bed that he would be occupying when (and if) he made it safely out of surgery. Although the well-wishers had wanted to stay, Sara had insisted that they all go home and get some rest, promising to give them news as soon as it became available. Only Mozzie, Diana and Jones remained, having refused to leave. They were waiting nearby in the ICU waiting room given that only one person could be in the patient's room at any given time.

There were a dozen small rooms in the intensive care unit all within easy view and reach of the nurses' station. Peter occupied the one that was two rooms over from Neal and Sara had spent a short time with him and Elizabeth when he'd returned from his first treatment in the hypobaric chamber. He appeared to be in good spirits and he made Sara promise that she would wake him as soon as there was any news about Neal no matter what time it was. She acquiesced – she knew better than to contradict Peter Burke and she knew her husband would say the same thing if their roles were reversed.

She looked at the empty bed again, longing to see Neal lying there, alive and breathing. She took a deep breath and imagined him there, his kind face, eyes closed as if he were simply asleep. Every minute that passed was agony but it was also a sign that Neal was still alive.

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'Daddy, daddy' Neal heard off in the distance. The voice was coming from directly behind him and he recognized it immediately as his little boy's. He glanced back seeing Liam sauntering towards him, excited to see his father.

Neal looked ahead – he was torn – something was telling him to keep walking towards the horizon off in the distance but he also wanted to turn back and see his son. He looked back again, then ahead once more.

'Daddy, come with me' said Liam, his voice excited as he got a little closer to where Neal stood, transfixed and paralyzed

Neal continued to hesitate as Liam got ever closer, running towards him with his arms wide open

'Daddy' he finally said out of breath as he stood a few feet away with his hand outstretched for his daddy to take

'Come with me, please!' he said in an urgent tone

Neal looked up ahead one last time, making his choice and turning back to his son as he grabbed the little boy's hand, a lifeline.

Within seconds, Liam had pulled him over to a clearing nearby. There, on a blanket, sat Sara and Hope smiling up at him, picnic lunch all around them.

'What took you so long?' asked Sara as she squinted into the sun

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'All right, that's all we can do for tonight. Excellent job, everyone!' said Dr Perez to his exhausted team as everyone began to pull away from the operating table

It was 1:58, Sunday morning and the surgical team had done all they could for Neal Caffrey. Now, the rest was up to the patient himself. The blood clot had been removed and without its pressure on his temporal lobe, it was up to Neal to go the rest of the way.

Ernesto Perez stretched his back and made his way out of the OR, removing his outer protective clothing as he went. He wondered if he was getting too old for this – standing for six hours without much of a break, his mind focussed on an infinitely small area of the brain, without any room for error. He felt he had done his very best for his patient and he prepared to go meet Sara Ellis-Caffrey to fill her in on her husband's condition. Then, he was going home to a couple of fingers of scotch and a warm bed.

'Mrs. Caffrey' came the nurse's voice. Sara wasn't sure how, but somehow she had momentarily nodded off again, in the middle of a peaceful dream this time – something about a country picnic with Neal and the kids.

'Yes' she answered, bolting upright

'We just got word from the OR. The surgery is over and they're bringing Mr. Caffrey up in a few minutes' the nurse explained

Sara let out an audible sigh. Neal was alive and at this moment in time, although their worries were far from over, that was the best news she could possibly hope for. She decided to make the short trek over to Peter's room to give him an update; she knew that once Neal was next to her, she would not want to leave his side.

She was surprised to see Peter sitting up in bed, glasses on, leafing through a magazine with Elizabeth sound asleep in the comfortable chair by his bed.

'What?' he asked, as he studied her face trying to surmise her answer before even giving her a chance to open her mouth

'He's out of surgery, they're bringing him up' she said, simply enjoying the sound of the words as she spoke them

'Thank God' said Peter but it was more of a sigh than anything else

'Peter, get some sleep. It's going to be a long haul with Neal. I doubt we'll know much else for a few hours' said Sara, touching his arm

Peter nodded and smiled – a small encouraging smile to get Sara through the next little while.

'He's strong, Sara and he's going to make it through this – he has too much to live for' added Peter

'I know' said Sara briefly flashing back to the nightmare she'd had earlier. She could not even fathom what life would be like without Neal by her side. They were a team in every way and the thought of having to carry on without him was unbearable. Although they were two strong individuals with their own pursuits and personal dreams, they always met up in the middle where it counted: in that place where you want to share your deepest self with someone else.

Sara made one last quick detour to the waiting room, conscious that Mozzie, Jones and Diana were still waiting there for news. She found the threesome in somewhat of an unruly pile, in various states of consciousness. They stirred as they heard Sara's voice.

'He made it through surgery' she said softly

All three of them seemed to exhale simultaneously at the news.

'I promise to keep you posted but you have to go home now and get some rest' she said 'Mozzie, can I get you to check on the kids tomorrow morning and let me know how they're doing?'

'Sure thing' said Mozzie as he stood to leave

She hugged all three of them before heading back inside the ICU where she spotted Dr. Perez, standing at the nurses' station. Upon seeing her, he invited her to step into Neal's room, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and urging her to sit.

'Sara, Neal has made it through the surgery and we were able to do what we needed to do – remove the pressure caused by the blood clot' he said, giving her time to digest the news

Sara nodded, waiting for more.

'For tonight, that's the absolute best we could hope for. Now, is the hard part: waiting and more waiting. I want to warn you that he will be out for several hours, perhaps even days. This is a major assault on his body, on his brain and he needs time to recuperate. I want you to pace yourself, get some rest because Neal is going to need you when he wakes up' he explained although he knew Sara enough to know that she would handle this the way she saw fit.

'So, we have no idea how this will affect him?' Sara asked, sitting on the edge of her chair.

'Not at this moment in time but by removing the pressure we've taken him out of any immediate danger and we know he has regular brain activity which is extremely encouraging news. What we don't know is if and how this will affect him. He could be just as he was before or he could have some neurological issues related to language or memory, like last time. The brain has to heal and as difficult as it is, we need to be patient and give him time'

He could see that Sara was struggling and from what he knew of her, she was a woman of action, someone who was used to making things happen. He knew the waiting and guessing game would be difficult for Sara but the situation was what it was.

Suddenly, there was a bit of a disruption near the nurses' station as Neal was wheeled in on a gurney. Attendants carefully placed Neal in the ICU bed making certain not to disturb the many tubes he was connected to and tucking him in carefully.

Dr. Perez took his leave, leaving Sara alone with her husband and she stood motionless by the bed staring down at him in amazement. After all those hours of waiting to see him again, she thought she would never get enough of finally looking at him, being able to touch him, talk to him. At that precise moment, the sight of him was so comforting that she imagined she would never take her eyes off him for the rest of her life. He looked peaceful, a large bandage covering about half his shaved head and he lay perfectly still, his breathing steady and strong and that was enough for now.

'You're going to get through this, Caffrey. Do you hear me?' Sara said as she bent down to speak softly in his ear

'You and I, we've been through worse and we're getting through this, together. The kids want their daddy home and frankly, I'm getting a little tired of having to carry the load on my own' she added, hoping that her usual dry wit would make its way into his psyche somehow.

After a few minutes of just plain staring, she took her place in the chair next to him, taking his hand and stroking it, squeezing it, kissing it as she continued staring for what seemed like hours, that is until she woke with a start at around six o'clock in the morning when the monitors around Neal began to all beep at once.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Room 7 of the ICU was suddenly filled with hospital personnel as everyone began reacting to the patient's seizure. Sara, who was still halfway between sleep and full consciousness, was quickly herded away towards the nurses' station despite her protests.

Neal was being held down as he thrashed on the bed, his arms and legs moving uncontrollably, his body shaking violently and Sara looked on in horror from her vantage point just outside the room. Within an instant, Elizabeth was by her side having heard the commotion and having realizing the ruckus was coming from Neal's room.

'What's going on?' she asked, reaching for her friend

Sara stood immobile, her hand covering her mouth and simply shaking her head. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion and despite the fact that the brief episode lasted a mere seconds, it seemed to Sara that it was going on forever.

The seizure ended as abruptly as it had begun and things slowly returned to normal in the ICU. Staff returned to their duties and Neal reverted to lying peacefully on the bed seemingly no worse for wear.

'Mrs. Caffrey' said the head nurse as she walked over to where Sara was still standing, transfixed, not really having had time to react to anything 'Your husband had a seizure, but he's fine now'

'A seizure?' Sara asked, horrified

'It happens sometimes after brain surgery' explained the nurse calmly

'Is it dangerous?' Sara's voice was shaky as she spoke

'No, not necessarily' said the woman

'Is he... is he in any pain?' she continued, totally overwhelmed by the turn of events

'No, no pain. The doctor will be here in a little while and he'll explain everything to you. You can go back in now, if you like' she said

Sara looked over at Elizabeth, her eyes full of apprehension and El picked up on her friend's anguish and uncertainty. She wrapped an arm around Sara in an effort to steady her and the women took a few tentative steps back towards the room.

'Here, I'll come and sit with you. Peter's still sleeping. Can you please let me know if my husband wakes up?' she asked, turning to the nurse assigned to Peter's room

The friends returned to Neal's side and Sara glanced down at his face; it looked exactly as it had before, calm and peaceful.

'I don't know how much of this I can take' she sobbed as she threw herself into Elizabeth's arms 'I want him back, I want Neal back'

'I know, you've got to be patient Sara. You've got to give him time to heal' Elizabeth said as she gently stroked her back

Sara looked at Elizabeth and then again at Neal and she began to shake uncontrollably. She had been going on fumes for two days now and there had been so many ups and downs, so many emotions – worry, fear, anxiety, concern, dread, anguish – her mind and body had reached their limit and she couldn't take one more minute.

'I can't do this anymore' Sara announced, suddenly grabbing her purse and leaving the room abruptly

Elizabeth looked on in shock as Sara walked out; she glanced down at Neal and she began to cry.

WCWCWC

It was around 8:00 when Peter woke with a moan rousing Elizabeth from her uneasy nap in the nearby chair. He had slept for the past three hours but he was in need of more medication as the pain in his leg reared its ugly head once more.

'Honey?' she said, standing and towering over him

His face was contorted and there were deep lines on his forehead, a sure sign that he was in severe pain. Elizabeth called for the nurse who was there in an instant, injecting something into his IV line.

'Hurts' Peter said, unable to make a full sentence

'I know, it'll be better in a minute, honey. Just hang in there' said Elizabeth, running a hand through his hair

Peter smiled at her through the pain; no matter what situation he was faced with, it was always easier when he had Elizabeth by his side, cheering him on. He seemed to relax as the narcotics hit his system and his eyes closed as the lines on his forehead began to dissipate.

Sara had been gone for close to two hours and Elizabeth had tried calling her on the phone without any luck. She was worried about her going off the deep end. Neal's seizure had been the last straw for Sara and now, not only was she worried about Neal, she was concerned about her friend as well.

WCWCWC

Sara sat on a bench just outside the emergency room entrance. She couldn't remember how she got there or how long she'd been sitting there. All she knew was that she had to get away from everything and try to collect herself. She stared out into the early morning, shaking both from nerves and from the cool morning air. Her phone had been ringing off and on for the past hour but she just couldn't bring herself to pick up.

Images kept flashing in front of her eyes in a constant loop, Neal being wheeled out of the debris, Neal strapped in the ambulance, Neal lying motionless on the bed, Neal thrashing around uncontrollably. She thought back to her nightmare realizing that she could lose him, really lose him forever; never talk to him again, never hear the sound of his voice, never see him laughing with the kids, never hold him again in her arms. How did anyone deal with that? How do people go on when they lose a loved one? She suddenly felt spineless; chastising herself for leaving his side when he needed her the most and her mind began to focus on what she needed to do right now to get through the next little while.

She picked up the phone and dialed the Mason residence to check on the kids. Then, she took a few deep cleansing breaths. She suddenly wondered what would happen if Neal came to and she wasn't there. She stood resolute and made her way back into the hospital.

Sara returned to Neal's room shortly after 8:00. Mozzie was just arriving when she walked in and she gave him a little smile and a hug.

'Nothing yet?' he asked

Sara shook her head.

They were interrupted by the arrival of Dr. Perez who was doing his rounds.

'Good morning' he said nodding at both Sara and Mozzie.

'I understand Neal had a seizure a couple of hours ago' he said, matter of factly

Mozzie looked at Sara, questioningly. That sounded ominous, he thought.

'Sara, I want you to know that seizures happen sometimes after brain surgery. They're not dangerous in and of themselves; they're a sudden abnormal electrical occurrence in the brain. Neal might have a few more, I don't know' said Dr. Perez

Sara searched his eyes as she tried to understand what he was saying.

'I know it looks very frightening but during a seizure, the patient is not in any pain. It doesn't affect Neal's prognosis negatively either but you do have to know how to react to keep him safe if he has another one'

Sara exhaled; she didn't know if she could handle this, seeing him shaking uncontrollably like that again.

'First off, there's an excellent chance that they will only last for a couple of days; most of the time they disappear within days of surgery. Neal is unconscious so we didn't have any precursory signs but once he's awake, there may be some indications he's about to have a seizure: he might appear suddenly unresponsive or stare off into space, he may start to shake or complain of dizziness. Sometimes, just before a seizure, people aren't able to speak or don't seem to understand what you're saying to them or they might mention a strange smell or taste. Those are all signs that a seizure is imminent. Usually, the seizure won't last for more than a minute or so, although it might feel longer to you. You just have to make sure he doesn't hurt himself – I'll have one of the nurses go through protocol with you just in case you're in the room and he has another one' the doctor explained

Neal had never had seizures the first time around and she wasn't sure how to react to all this new information but she took solace in knowing it wasn't dangerous or harmful to Neal and that it didn't cause him any pain. Dr. Perez took his leave promising to return the next morning during rounds and reassuring Sara that he would be back if there were any new developments.

Sara and Mozzie took turns by Neal's side throughout the morning. Sara went over to Peter's room to check on him and let Elizabeth know she was back. He was awake, the drugs doing their job and he was preparing for a second session in the hypobaric chamber.

By noon, Mozzie had finally convinced Sara to go home and have a short nap, shower and change her clothes. She also wanted to spend some time with Hope and Liam whom she hadn't seen since Friday night.

'Neal, sweetie, Mozzie's here and I'm going to go home and change my clothes and check on the kids, okay? I'll be back soon. I love you' she whispered to Neal as Mozzie stood by

She stared at his face, bending down to place a gentle kiss on his eyelids, then his lips before wiping a tear and collecting her things.

WCWCWC

Sara returned to the hospital shortly after 7:00 in the evening. She had showered, changed, had dinner with the children at the Mason home and had tucked Liam into bed before leaving. She sat with Hope and explained as best she could what was going on with Neal without scaring her unnecessarily, choosing to leave out the seizure he'd had that morning.

'I know I'm asking an awful lot, sweetheart, but I need you to stay strong and to keep an eye on Liam for me. Can you do that?' she asked as she cradled Hope in her arms

She felt her daughter nod against her and thought she heard a sniffle.

'You are my brave girl, so, so brave' she said, kissing the top of her head 'Daddy would be so very proud of you'

Upon arrival at the hospital, she stopped by the gift shop and picked up some reading material to keep her occupied over the next several hours and she made her way up to the ICU, feeling much stronger than she had that morning. She grinned as she took in the title of the book Mozzie was reading – something about the conspiracy of hospitals to foster superbugs.

'How is he?' she asked, making her way straight to Neal's side

'No change but he had another small seizure about twenty minutes ago' said Mozzie

Sara looked at her husband – it would be impossible to know there had been a disturbance when one looked at his face, serene and tranquil.

'Thank you Mozzie, I really needed that break. It felt great to see the kids and change my clothes. Your turn to go rest – I'll call you if there's any change' Sara told him as she bid him goodnight

She settled in for the night alternating between reading and short naps and on a couple of occasions, she met up with Elizabeth at the nurses' station where they chatted briefly while keeping an eye on their respective husbands. Peter was responding well to the treatments and doctors were hopeful they were having the desired effect.

At about three thirty in the morning, Sara was awakened by the sound of a voice nearby.

'Sara?'

It was barely a whisper. At first she thought she had imagined it. She stood up in a flash and walked over to look at Neal seeing his blue eyes peeking out from under his eyelids

'What did you say?' she asked, her voice trembling as she grabbed his hand

'Sara' he repeated, his eyes trained on hers, voice weak but clear

'Again... please' she said, staring into his eyes

'Sara' he uttered again, a little louder and with the smallest of smiles on his lips as he struggled to keep his eyes open

'You _do_ know that we're married, right?' she asked as she thought back to those awful moments after he'd come to four years before

'Going on nine wonderful years' he responded ever so softly, to her delight

'Oh, my God, Neal. Let me call the nurse' she said, reaching for the call button, not wanting to take her eyes off of him

'And break up this wonderful reunion?' he said, his voice rough as he winced in pain

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

_Here's the end of the line for this story. From your comments, I'm guessing I took you for quite a ride. Hope you have enjoyed!_

**Chapter 14**

The following days and weeks were brutal for Neal and Peter and their wives. Regaining their strength and their health was slow going in both cases and Sara and Elizabeth stood steadfastly by their husbands as they suffered the inevitable ups and downs associated with the healing process.

Peter was having success with the innovative oxygen treatments and after ten days of regular visits to the 'isolation booth' (as he and Elizabeth had nicknamed it), the doctors declared that his leg would pull through after all. It was unlikely he would regain his previous range of motion and he might have to use a cane for the foreseeable future but that was nothing compared to what might have happened if he had lost his leg and both Peter and Elizabeth were extremely grateful for the outcome.

Neal had a few smaller seizures over the following week as his brain continued to heal. Sara had been present during three of them and she was learning to see the foreboding signs and remain calm and reassuring as Neal worked through them. Neal slept a great deal, his brain needing the rest to mend properly and Sara got an awful lot of reading done as she sat by his side, day in and day out.

By the second week of May, Peter was released and fitted with a special cast which allowed him to start his physiotherapy sessions – something he was instructed to do on a daily basis for at least three months. Elizabeth drove him faithfully every day, steadfast by his side, as he visited the nearby clinic. She nagged him to do his exercises when he got home and didn't let him get away with anything – knowing that the short term pain would definitely be for long term gain. Peter would be off work for the summer at least and he hoped to resume regular activities in the fall.

Neal, on the other hand, stayed in hospital a week longer than Peter. The doctors wanted to continue to monitor his progress and make sure he was truly out of the woods. Amazingly, he did not seem to be suffering from any long term repercussions related to his hematoma. The doctors credited Peter with trying to keep him alert while they had been trapped in their car – although he'd had marginal success, the fact that Neal had been conscious part of the time had been enough to mitigate the damage. Sara brought Hope and Liam to visit their dad every couple of days and this did wonders for Neal's morale as he continued to dote on his children.

Neal was sporting a new short hairstyle, a buzz cut, compliments of his surgery and it made him look younger somehow, bringing out his dimples and youthful smile. He would be back at work by the end of June and he continued to be monitored at the Brain Injury Clinic as he always had. The seizures diminished but had not completely disappeared so he was instructed to curtail any activities that might put his safety at risk if he suddenly had a seizure. Sara kept a close eye on him and she was just so thankful to have her husband back that she didn't seem to worry quite so much about all the little things.

The Caffrey family resumed their Friday night dinners out which had always been a highlight for Sara. She loved starting the weekend with a family meal out and Neal happily returned to sitting in front of chicken fingers and pizza as he took pleasure in spending time with his family.

Neal resumed painting and seemed to have a new perspective on life. As with any artist, his style was in constant evolution and he began to incorporate his latest life experience into his art. He spent hours with Hope in the studio, especially in the weeks before returning to work and he surprised Liam for his birthday with tickets to Madison Square Gardens for a playoff game as the New York Rangers made it to the final round of the Stanley Cup.

Father's Day rolled around, a gorgeous mid-June sunny day and Sara and Neal decided to host a barbecue for their friends and family. The backyard was brimming with activity as Peter ambled around with his cane and his walking cast. Neal was busy at the barbecue, taking orders for the usual dogs and burgs. He was wearing the baseball cap that the kids had given him as a gift that morning – with a picture of each of them and a 'World's Best Dad' written across the front.

June sat with Mozzie in one corner of the yard, playing a game in their ongoing tournament of high stakes 'Candy Land'. The tournament had been going on for over twelve years but neither one of them wanted it to come to an end or even still bothered to keep score.

Diana and Christie came with their daughter Olivia who was two years old and a real handful. She ran around the Caffrey yard with Liam and Hope in tow and old Satchmo followed close behind as he tried to keep up with the threesome. Clinton showed up for a while on his way to visit his own Dad and stayed for a quick bite to eat before heading out.

Overall the atmosphere was festive as everyone revelled in having the two men back, safe and sound from their bizarre and unusual adventure.

After the guests had left, the two couples sat and had coffee on the backyard deck, crickets chirping in the background.

'To health and safe parking garages' said Neal, tongue in cheek as he raised his cup in a toast

'Neal!' said Sara who didn't seem to appreciate his attempt at humor

'We made it through!' declared Elizabeth as she took Peter's hand and squeezed it

'We did – it's not quite over yet but...' Peter said as he rapped his knuckles on his cast 'we're getting there, right?'

'It used to be I'd worry when you two went off on a dangerous case but for some reason, that doesn't seem to be the issue with you guys' said Elizabeth, laughing

'Yeah, we have to be concerned about harmless things like parking garages and in Neal's case, riding in the back of cabs' added Sara, looking at her husband

He smiled in return. They were all carrying scars they hadn't had ten years ago but it was all good, it made them stronger somehow.

'Oh, I almost forgot' said Elizabeth 'We got you a little something for Father's Day, Neal'

She pulled out a gift from under the table and handed it over to Neal who eagerly took it from her wondering what it could possibly be. It was a gorgeous set of Grubacher paint brushes in assorted sizes and styles and Neal began examining them individually, turning them over in his hands, his mind in overdrive as to how he might use each one.

'Wow, guys, this is amazing. These are the best – you really shouldn't have' he said, like a child who just got a new train set

Peter and Elizabeth grinned as the look on Neal's face confirmed that they had made the right choice of gift.

'And I have something for Peter' added Neal standing and making his way into the house to retrieve his surprise

'For me? But I'm not a...' started Peter

'Before you finish that sentence, I can assure you that you are...' Neal said, getting slightly choked up and unable to finish

He returned carrying a small narrow box and handed it over to his mentor and friend who simply looked up at him, mystified.

Sara and Elizabeth exchanged knowing glances as Peter opened the box slowly, prolonging the suspense. Once open, the box revealed his lucky tie, impeccably pressed, the hole perfectly mended and ready to be worn once again.

'You're kidding' said Peter laughing out loud 'but you hate this thing!'

'Uh, uh!' answered Neal 'This tie was very lucky for us that day and I look forward to seeing it around your neck every single time we close a case in the future!'

Peter stood, awkwardly, making his way to Neal and giving him a hug

'Thanks Neal. It means a lot to me' he said, his voice slightly shaky

'You're welcome' Neal answered as they returned to their seats.

'Now, any new and interesting cases coming up for me?'

Sara and Elizabeth looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

La fin


End file.
